


Between The Pipes

by feistypants



Series: Between The Pipes [1]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: AKA Bickering with Sexual Tension, Agnarr Sucks, Alternate Universe - Hockey, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Idiots to Lovers tbh, Mutual Pining, No Strings Attached, Not SUPER Slow but They’re Stupid, Slow Burn, human!Sven, or so they think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:22:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 76,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23273158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feistypants/pseuds/feistypants
Summary: When a new owner takes over the Arendelle Ice Breakers, Kristoff isn’t sure about his future with the team. That is, until a PR nightmare throws the newest member of the media team, who also just so happens to be the daughter of the new owner, right into his arms. Kristoff and Anna can’t even stand the interviews they have to do together... how on earth are they going to fix this mess?Hockey!AU.
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Series: Between The Pipes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682203
Comments: 566
Kudos: 281





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m here with another AU that I hopefully won’t abandon!!!! I’m the worst and I’m sorry lmao. I meant to write more of this before I posted it, but I can’t stay away from the idea of instant validation! So... here she is. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjooooy.

_ In. _

_ Out. _

“And Dapozza gets the puck, racing from the blue line …”

_ In. _

_ Out. _

“He passes to Reiman, who slaps it to Collins …”

_ In. _

_.. In. _

_ … _

“They’re fast approaching the Ice Breakers goal, the puck goes to Westergaard, he shoots …”

_ Breathe, god damn it! _

Kristoff reacts too slowly, the puck skimming his glove as it whistles past his ear and slams into the back of the net. The goal horn sounds in this foreign arena, and the fans surrounding him break out into cheers. 

“He scores! Westergaard takes the lead with almost an impossible chance for the ice breakers to recover!”

With nine seconds left, he lost his team the game. With nine seconds left, he let the opposition get ahead. Nine seconds. Even with Sven’s quick feet and pulling him for an extra skater, there was no way they were making it back up. 

He lost them the game, lost them the conference, lost them the whole damn cup.

As he slammed his stick into the goalpost, snapping it in half, he realized he might have lost his temper, too. 

That’ll look good to the new owners.

—

“You all fought hard, and I’m proud of you,” Coach Mattias hollered, his voice echoing off of the cubbies. “We climbed our way up from the bottom. We didn’t even make the playoffs last season.” He snapped his fingers and pointed around the room. “You all make me remember why I started coaching. Always trying your best, even when the going gets tough.”

Kristoff dropped his head between his shoulders, sighing as he peeled off another layer of equipment. He had been slacking this season. Mattias was just too nice to point it out. 

“We’ll get ‘em next year. For now, go home. Rest up. Enjoy your time off. When we get back, we’ll be going harder than ever.” Coach clapped his hands together before nodding and leaving the team to grieve their tough loss. 

Few words were exchanged as the men gathered their belongings, knowing later this week they’d have to do it again at home. Kristoff sat patiently, letting some of the frustration drain from his shoulders before he continued stripping down and changing into his civvies. 

After about ten minutes of his silence, Sven sat beside him and clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Y’know it’s not your fault, right?”

Kristoff only grunted in reply.

“Seriously, man.” Sven dropped his palm to the bench, stretching his legs out in front of him. “I know it feels like it, but we all played kinda crap tonight. No one blames you.”

“Should have trained harder.” Kristoff wiped a palm down his face before reaching down to unbuckle his pads. “I shouldn’t have fucked off for two weeks —“

“Dude.” Sven’s fist punched into his arm with no holds barred, and Kristoff was kind of glad he still had on some padding. “Your dad was sick. No one thinks you  _ fucked off _ .”

Taking a deep breath before dropping his pads to the ground, Kristoff finally lifted his gaze to meet his friends’.

“What if they trade me.”

“They won’t.”

“But what if they  _ do _ .”

Sven was silent for a moment, fingers tapping impatiently against the wood. “Then,” he started, laughter twinkling in his eyes. “ _ Then _ we get to be star-crossed best friends, longing for the day we can be together again,” he threw a hand up, laying the backside of it gently across his forehead as his dark curls bounced against his skin. “Plotting how to make the owners rue the day they separated us!”

Kristoff shoved him off the bench as he laughed, the knot in his chest easing slightly with every chuckle. “Shut the fuck up.”

Sven smirked up at him from the floor, flipping over as nimbly as he could to right himself again. “They won’t trade you, man. I promise.”

With a sigh, he nodded and pushed a hand through his hair. “All right.”

“Now get dressed, dickhead. We’re going to drink the pain away!”

—

The off time was exactly what Kristoff had needed. 

He flew his family in for a few weeks, spent some much needed time in the woods, and thankfully, did  _ not _ get traded. It had been weighing on him for most of the summer, but it appeared that his impressive record was enough for the new owners to look past his shitty, playoff ending, final game of the season.

Him and Sven spent at least a little bit of time on the ice every day, and he was glad for it. There was nothing more freeing than skating, and nothing more thrilling than saving a beautiful shot on goal. Plus, he had been doing this since he was four, and Kristoff really missed it when he went too long away from the rink. 

But with practices starting back up, it was finally time to meet the new team owners. 

And Sven may have convinced him to go a little harder than should have been allowed last night. A last hurrah, he had said. Boy oh  _ boy _ was Kristoff regretting letting that persuade him.

Armed with sunglasses, too many Red Bulls, and the sheer will of all men who lived before him, Kristoff slumped to the rink at a bright, but thankfully not  _ too _ bright, seven am. He hadn’t realized how familiar he was with the back halls of the rink until he maneuvered through them with his eyes half closed, yawning wide, and grateful for these last few minutes of some sort of shut eye. 

“Excuse me?”

A chipper voice broke through his silence, and Kristoff felt his whole body vibrate with a groan. 

“Excuse me! I’m sorry, ah,” she stopped quickly when he turned to face her, venom etched into his features. “Oh. You look —“

“Can I help you?”

Her eyebrows lifted up to hide under her bangs, and Kristoff tried to ignore the slight flush that spread over her cheeks. So she was embarrassed. Probably here for one of the players. Why was she here so early? Weren’t these girls more suited for one am calls?

“Oh, yeah, um, I’ve just never been here before? I think I’m lost…”

He pushed his sunglasses up onto his head as she stammered away, growing increasingly frustrated with her rambling. 

“Locker room is for the team, staff, and media only.”

“Oh, I know, I —“

“So, call whoever it is you’re trying to meet and tell them you’ll be outside.”

Kristoff ran his eyes up and down the girl before him, appreciating the pull some of the guys on this team had. Some puck bunnies didn’t have much to write home about. At least this one was cute.

He missed the flash of annoyance in her eyes, but looked back to her face as she sighed, stood straighter, and a smile pulled at her lips. 

“Oh, wow, thank you like, so, so much?” There was a new inflection to her voice that his hungover ass couldn’t even try to decipher, and he shrugged his bag higher on his shoulder. “I’ll just…. give them a call, then. Thanks a lot!”

She turned, shoulders tense, and Kristoff shrugged her off. It wasn’t the first time a girl found her way down here. He was certain it wouldn’t be the last. 

Checking his watch, Kristoff realized there was still a good half an hour before he was required to be in the locker room. Maybe a quick stop for a power nap wouldn’t hurt. 

—

Twenty-six minutes later, Kristoff rolled into the locker room, throwing his bag into his cubby, and fell down on the bench beside Sven hard.

“Hey, man. You good?” Sven laughed and pulled the sunglasses off of his face. “Oooh,” he sighed, shaking his head. “Nope. You look like death.”

Kristoff groaned and shoved a hand against his friends’ shoulder. “I have no idea how you’re okay right now.” He rolled his head back, stretching his neck and sighed. “I’m never going out with you again.”

Sven shrugged, his whole head bobbing again. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

Kristoff stayed there, eyes shut, ignoring the other players’ sitting around him until he heard someone behind him let out a low whistle.

“Whose red-head is that?” Cooper whispered, looking back and forth as Kristoff’s eyes shot open. “And if she’s no one’s, I’m down to claim that.”

He snapped up, eyes scanning the room until he saw familiar curls talking to the coach in the corner, a clipboard clasped in her hands as she fingered through some paperwork. Sweat started beading on his back as she looked up, as if she felt eyes burning a hole in her, and when their eyes met he swore a shit-eating grin spread across her mouth.

_ Fuck _ .

“She’s…” Kristoff started, pulling his eyes away from her to look at Sven. “She’s media, right?”

Sven shrugged, frowning. “Dunno, why?”

“I…”

Coach Mattias coughed loudly, stepping up to the front of the room. “All right boys, listen up.” He clapped his hands until they all looked at him before continuing. “Thank you all for being here bright and early. I know we’re not in full swing yet, so I appreciate it.” 

Kristoff swallowed thickly as she stood up straighter, as if waiting to be…

“Mr Arne, the new owner, unfortunately could not join us today….”

He let out an almost audible sigh of relief.

Until…

“But his lovely daughter is here in his place. Miss Arne?” Mattias gestured for her to come closer with a smile. 

_ Oh fuck. _

She stepped onto the platform with a laugh, swatting lightly at Mattias. “Just Anna is fine, coach.” 

Kristoff was trying to stop the panic he could already feel coursing through his veins. Would she hold this against him? Would she punish him for this?

“It’s so good to be here, really,” she started, pushing some loose curls back over her shoulder as the team gave her a small round of applause. “I can’t wait to meet all of you —“ her eyes flicked to Kristoff, as if making a decision, before she blinked it away and continued. “I’m sure we’re going to have a really great partnership here!”

_ Fuuuuuck. _


	2. Chapter 2

There were very few things in life that Anna didn’t love. The top three items on that list were:

  1. Starting a new job.
  2. Moving.
  3. Having people give her anything she asked for just because of who her parents were.



Unfortunately, these were the same three things that summed up her entire last  _ month _ .

Her father decided that it was  _ finally _ time to invest in the NHL - the whole reason he had moved them over from Norway when she was a baby in the first place. A team that piqued his interest was freshly on the market. It was new enough to still shape the way he wanted, but had been around for enough years to have made an impression on the fans. After fighting tooth and nail the last few years, they had finally made it to the conference finals, and they were showing promise for a cup win in the very near future. 

So they moved to a new state, a new city, and spent a ton of time commuting from their home just in the suburbs to a smaller town where the NHL team was located. It seemed strange to not just place the team in the big city, but something about zoning laws and space and  _ blah blah blah _ ….

About once a week to start, Anna, her sister, and her father drove a few hours to and from the arena to make sure everything was set up just how they liked it, to make sure that the team was ready for this transition, and to make sure that they were all familiar with how this team liked to function. All in all, it wasn’t so bad. 

Until her father decided that for her own benefit, she would be a part of the media team, and would have to spend almost every working hour around the team. So now Anna got to drive a few hours every  _ single _ day. 

That was kind of bad.

Anna decided early on that she was going to get her own apartment close by, because using this much time and fuel was a waste. But that was just another  _ move _ . But she did it anyway, because her sanity would be worn thin driving back and forth and back and forth and  _ back…  _

Meanwhile her sister, ever the prodigy, stayed with their father and learned the intricacies of owning and managing a team. Agnarr wanted her to be ready to keep their name on the team should anything happen to him. This was his dream, and he would not be selling, no matter  _ what _ . 

She tried really,  _ really _ hard to not be bitter that Elsa got trained to own the team while she got put on the  _ media _ team…

_ You’re charismatic, _ her father said, his hands on her shoulders when she asked why she couldn’t be learning the ropes as well.  _ The camera loves you, and so will everyone watching _ .

Barf.

So here she was, two weeks after moving across the country from their mansion in Los Angeles, in a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere, moving  _ again _ into a tiny little apartment that could barely fit her bed.

This kind of sucked. 

But she was determined to make the most of it. 

It only took her a few days to settle into the new place. Maybe it was because there wasn’t a ton of room to settle, but Anna liked to think that she just had the good luck of being able to get comfortable pretty much anywhere quickly. She tried her best to decorate, but she didn’t want to totally overwhelm the space… so she was happy with just one big, pastel painting above her couch, and some plants on the shelves between her books. 

With an early day full of meeting tons of new people on the horizon tomorrow, Anna decided it was good enough and headed for bed. God forbid her father actually come meet the team instead of just sending her to do the face-to-face business. Some days he acted like she was too stupid to do anything, others he fully expected her to act in his place.

It was frustrating, to say the least, but… at least there would be plenty of eye candy.

—

She barely slept. 

New job anxiety had kept her tossing and turning all night.

But it was fine, it would just be a short meeting, saying hello, showing her face, not a problem. Anna loaded up on coffee, curled her hair and put on minimal makeup, dressed herself in a sleek pencil skirt and forest green blouse, and gave herself a long-winded pep talk in the mirror before heading down to the arena. 

It was only about fifteen minutes from her new apartment, and Anna drove in silence for the first time in a long time, hoping her nerves would calm on their own. What was she going to say? Would she have to remember all of the players’ names right away? What if the coach hated her? What if the  _ team _ hated her? 

Before she knew it, she was parking in the staff lot, looking at a door with a security guard, and her heart was beating out of her chest. 

Okay. This was fine. She was going to be absolutely  _ fine _ … 

She slid out from the car after checking her makeup in the mirror, her small heels clicking as they hit the pavement. Did she overdress? This was just a bunch of athletes, not a gala… but then again, it was her new  _ job _ , she had to be professional, right? Standing upright, she smoothed her hands over her clothes, trying her best to flatten out any wrinkles that appeared during the drive, before shutting the car door and walking up to the doorway. 

After having her license checked and scanned, and being issued a shiny new badge, Anna felt a little more confidence rising in her chest. She was feeling good, ready to go, excited to be here… until she wound up at a dead end, lost in the maze of tunnels that made up the bottom of the arena. 

She stood there for a moment, pulling out her cell phone and checking for service, before she heard loud footsteps coming closer down the hall. 

“Oh!” Anna gasped, racing forward to try and catch whoever was walking by. “Excuse me?”

He either didn’t hear her or was ignoring her, so Anna tried again. “Excuse me! I’m sorry…” 

It was when he turned quickly on her that Anna felt a blush rise up on her cheeks. He was towering over her, at least three times her width, and clearly not in the mood for a stranger to be bothering him. And then he took off his sunglasses, and Anna felt her whole body heat. Those brown eyes raking up and down her body did something to her, and she couldn’t seem to get a word out without stumbling.

But then he opened his mouth.

Rude.

She could only assume by his physique and the huge duffel on his shoulder that he was a player, and Anna felt irritation rising in her throat. Is this how players here treated strangers? Is this what she was going to be putting up with every single day? Oh, that would not do. No way.

Anna could feel sharp words on her tongue and fought every instinct in her that said she needed to rip this guy a new one. 

So she walked away.

What an  _ ass _ .

—

She found her way back to the security desk, where a much kinder gentleman showed her the way to the locker room, and another sweet man greeted her inside with a smile. 

“You must be Miss Arne, yeah?” The coach held out a hand for her to shake. “I’m coach Mattias.”

“Yes, I’ve heard a ton about you!” Anna laid her hand in his and smiled brightly at the older man. “I’m so excited to be here! My father…” Her smile faltered. “He sends his apologies. He’ll be here before pre-season.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I’m sure he’s a busy man.”

Anna nodded, her lips tightening as they held in everything she wanted to say. “Right, yeah.” She bit at her bottom lip briefly before remembering all the other paperwork she needed to fill out today for her new job. “Oh! I have everything with me, would it be you I gave it to?”

Mattias laughed and shook his head as she thumbed through her bag, pulling out all her papers. It was almost eight, and the last of the stragglers were coming into the locker room. She felt shivers run up her spine as if someone was directly looking at her, and Anna turned her head quickly to find familiar brown eyes staring intently at her. 

“Oh, no, not me. I’ll set you up with Garda later…”

She couldn’t help the smirk that stretched on her lips. Serves that asshole right. He’s going to have to deal with the fact that he was that rude to the owner.

Well, the owner’s daughter. Close enough.

The player tore his eyes away from her long enough for Mattias to excuse himself and step up on to a slightly raised part of the locker room. He began to introduce her, and Anna was overjoyed watching the blonde sweat. Oh, yes, she could totally destroy him right now, call him out, get him reamed out by the coach in front of everyone…

As she stepped up onto the small stage with coach, Anna started her small spiel. Her eyes danced over each player, doing her best to point out any that she happened to know. When they landed on the man from earlier, however, she could see the pure panic in his eyes. 

Maybe the uncertainty would be punishment enough.

—

Mattias sent the players off to get ready for a skate, and Anna went off to speak with the head of Public Relations and Media, Gerda. It went by quickly, thank goodness, and Anna left her office with a little more understanding of what she’d be doing. Just some interviews, some on camera things with the players, with fans, stuff like that. She didn’t have to worry about writing any questions, just being on camera.

Sounded easy enough, if not a little bit on the boring side. But it wasn’t surprising. It wasn’t as if she got this job because of her merit. Nope, just another thing handed to her.

It was frustrating, but at least it was a job. She couldn’t turn that down. Better than just sitting around the house all day.

Anna sighed as she made her way back down the stairs. This whole day was turning out to be a lot more and a lot longer than she had expected, and about three hours later she was finally getting to head down to the ice to meet the players face to face. Luckily, she was pretty good with faces and names, so she wasn’t too worried about it, but this was a lot of people to meet all at once and Anna couldn’t help but worry she’d forget about someone. 

She came up to the entrance to the bench, stepping carefully over the lip as she said a quick hello to the coach again. 

“Ready to meet everyone?”

With a big smile and a nod, Anna leaned up against the boards. 

“Pederson!”

Anna watched the forward glance up before skating over, bumping fists with another player next to him as he left. 

“‘Sup?” He started, pulling his helmet off and shaking out his dark curls. Giving Anna a bright white smile, the player jammed his glove under his arm before pulling his hand free and holding it out for a shake. “Hey. Nice to meet you.”

“You, too,” Anna grinned, shaking his hand firmly. “Anna.”

“Sven.”

She pointed at the ‘C’ embroidered onto his jersey and smiled. “Captain. Nice.”

Anna could see the suspicion in his eyes as she averted her gaze, pressing her lips together and gesturing out on the ice. “So… you know everything there is to know about everyone here, yeah?”

He nodded slowly, leaning forward on the boards beside her. “You don’t know much about hockey, do you?”

Her heart sped up, and she crossed her arms against the edge, rubbing gently at one upper arm. “That obvious, huh?”

“No worries,” he laughed, nudging her with his padded elbow. “Lots of the media team don’t know much when they get here. You’ll pick it up. Me and my buds can help you, too.”

Anna nodded, pursing her lips. “I’d like that.”

“Sven!”

They both turned to see the goalie waving him over, his whole body moving anxiously. 

“Hey,” Anna started as he pushed back off the boards. “What can you tell me about that one?”

Sven glanced over his shoulder before looking back at her, his brown eyes filled with mischief. “Oh, Kristoff? Yeah,” he smirked, shoving his hand back into his glove. “He’s not so good with people. Heard you guys had a really lovely introduction.”

Her eyebrow quirked as she laughed. “You could say that.”

“He’s a good guy when he comes around. Just takes a minute.”

“Got it.”

Sven skated off with a salute before Anna tapped on the shoulder of Mattias.

“I wanna meet the goalie, next.”

“Bjorgman!”

Here goes nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

The second she left the locker room, Kristoff felt his whole body relax. Okay. It seemed like she hadn’t told anyone about how much of an ass he was yet, so maybe he could get ahead of this. Yeah, if he just told coach why he was so rude…

But then again, if she wasn’t planning on telling anyone, then he was outing himself for no reason.

But then  _ again _ , it would be better for him to just own up to it…

Kristoff dropped his head into his hands, letting out a low and frustrated groan. He hadn’t even noticed that everyone was gearing up until Sven smacked the back of his head and pointed quite forcefully to his cubby. “Skate starts in fifteen, Kris, and if you’re late on day one, Coach will have your ass.” Sven cocked a brow at him before sighing. “Tell me what’s bothering you when we get on the ice, okay?”

Looking up with sad eyes, Kristoff nodded before standing and moving towards his gear. Most of the guys were already ready, moving to head down the runway to the rink before he had even gotten his jock on, and Kristoff moved as quickly as possible. But being a goalie came with more complex gear, and it always took him just a couple extra minutes of prep.

Coach Mattias came back to yell at the last of the stragglers, and Kristoff decided to just run out with his mask under his arm. That’s fine. He’s fine.

He can handle this.

There was no way they’d get rid of their starting goalie because he was a little rude one time to the owner’s daughter.

Right?

Yeah.

He was fine.

Kristoff pulled his mask on tight, grateful that he didn’t see her red hair anywhere in the arena, and stepped onto the ice, the feel and scrape of it underneath his feet immediately calming his nerves. It was almost as if he had no worries when he was out here… except for, you know, trying to win professional hockey games. But that was barely stressful at all.

After a couple laps around the rink to warm up his legs, Kristoff heard a high pitched whistle coming from the other side of the ice. Sven was skating over to him now, and Kristoff started having second thoughts about revealing just exactly went down. He knew Sven would think he was the asshole, but c’mon, was it really so outrageous for him to think that  _ another _ fan girl found her way into the back of the arena?

… At seven in the morning.

Dressed in business casual wear.

… Okay yeah, he was dumb.

But he was also hungover.

“This is all your fault,” he yelled to his friend, frowning as he got closer. “I blame you entirely.”

“I mean, I guess that’s fair.” Sven couldn’t help but laugh as he slid to a halt in front of Kristoff, punching a gloved hand against his shoulder. “Can I at least know what I’m being blamed for?”

Kristoff bounced in place, glancing around the room to make sure no one else was within ear shot. “I’m hungover and dumb and it’s  _ your _ fault.”

“You were born dumb, I did not contribute to that.”

Swatting his glove into the side of Sven’s helmet before laughing, Kristoff could feel his tension starting to ease. “Fine, I won’t blame you for that part of it.” His face dropped as he jumped at the sound of Mattias yelling at Zenobio. “Look, I, uh, may have been an asshole to the wrong person.”

Sven clicked his tongue once, already knowing just exactly who the person in question was. “Did you screw her and not call her again? I’ve told you to — ow!” He clenched as the goalie punched him in the arm, and rose his hands up in defeat. “Okay, okay, I know you don’t do that, I’m sorry.” His mitt rose to his helmet to push it back on his head. “What happened?”

With a sigh and a pitiful backwards swizzle, Kristoff confessed the short story to his captain. “I mean, I just  _ assumed _ she was one of yours or like, Brady’s or something.” 

“At seven am?”

Kristoff nodded.

“Dressed like  _ that _ ?”

Kristoff sighed. 

“God, you are dumb.”

“Okay, but what should I do?” Kristoff felt his body deflating, worry rising up in his bones. If even  _ Sven _ wasn’t sure how to handle this, he might’ve been shit out of luck.

Sven tapped his stick against his chin, frowning. “I mean, maybe take the lesson and stop being such an asshole.” A grin. “But ultimately, I don’t know… just apologize? Hope it doesn’t bite you in the ass?”

Kristoff nodded before Mattias was shouting at them to stop standing around, and get to practicing. 

Apologize.

Yeah.

He could do that.

—

About two hours later, Kristoff heard Mattias shout across the ice as the team was firing constant shots at him, laughing as he scrambled to catch each and every puck. He looked up, swiftly catching the last puck shot right at his hand, and grinned as Sven started skating over. Until he saw  _ her _ …

Anxiety pulsed through his veins again as Sven turned around to wink at him briefly before slipping his helmet off and greeting Anna with a handshake. What was this about? Maybe she just wanted to meet the captain? Maybe he would get another day of not talking to her.

Yeah, easy, this is fine. She only wants to talk to Sven because he’s the captain!

Kristoff could feel himself bouncing on his skates as he watched with narrowed eyes, but he was trying to pass it off as practicing some footwork. He wished he could hear just exactly what was going on across the ice, trying and failing to activate some type of hidden sonar superpower that maybe he didn’t know he had.

It only took a second for his mind to wander, for his eyes to drag down the curve of her leaning over the boards. She was  _ tiny _ . He could just imagine that the span of his fingers would swallow her waist whole, that his one palm could cover the soft swell of her backside. 

Wait, fuck.

He noticed her jerk her head forward, soft curls bouncing on her shoulders as she did, and then saw Sven look at him with a grin before turning back to her. 

Oh no, please no. If that dickwad tells her  _ anything _ compromising, he’ll kill him. Kill him dead. Icicles are good murder weapons, right?

Sven started skating back towards him, a fucking smirk stretched across his face. Kristoff was ready to slap it right off of his cocky, pretty boy — 

“She’s nice!” Sven snickered, practically ready to duck from Kristoff’s fist swinging towards his head. “Seriously, man. You should just—“

_ Bjorgman! _

“Oh god please no.”

Sven laughed and patted him on the back. “Think she wants to meet everyone one-on-one. You know what’s funny though”

Kristoff glanced between her, Sven, and coach who was starting to impatiently tap his fingers. “What?”

“She’s  _ totally _ your type.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

He knew that, god damn it. He was just trying not to think about it. 

Kristoff headed over to the bench, his whole body tense as two sets of watchful eyes stared him down. “Yeah, coach?” He hollered, pushing his mask up and letting it rest on top of his head. He didn’t miss her posture straighten, because god damn it she was fucking hot and he was a dumbass. 

“Miss Ar— ah…  _ Anna  _ was hoping to meet everyone today.” It wasn’t like coach to stumble over his words, but it also wasn’t like the owners to get this familiar with the players. Usually they liked to keep a distance, treat the players like pawns. If they stopped performing, they’d be replaced. No sense in making any sort of personal connections.

Kristoff nodded before glancing over to her, her arms crossed over her chest, and another fucking smirk on her lips. “Right, yeah.” He shook his mitt off, setting it down on the ledge before wiping at his sweaty forehead. “We… kind of met already.”

Her face faltered for just a moment, and Kristoff felt his confidence rise. She wasn’t expecting him to admit to it, was she? Okay, this gave him a bit of an upper hand. 

“Yes, right… if I recall, you were  _ quite _ —“

Laughing to cut her off, Kristoff leaned forward, his hand on the boards beside his mitt. “Yeah, I wasn’t nice. You see, Sven over there,” he jerked his chin up, watching her closely as her lips turned into a frown. “He convinced me to go out last night. I was just tired and… not myself.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“I’m sorry for what I said, Miss Arne. It was absolutely unacceptable.” He had put on his most convincing act ever, and it seemed to be working. Kristoff let his eyes drop to her mouth, just for a second, as her plush lips parted in slight disbelief. 

“Oh,” she laughed, pulling some of her hair to the front, twisting it gently between her slim fingers. “Oh, gosh, it’s okay!” Her voice was about an octave higher than it was earlier, and Kristoff felt suspicion prickling at the back of his neck. “And it’s just Anna, really.”

Whereas her interaction with Sven seemed casual and comfortable, there was an obvious tension between them, eyes firmly locked onto the other’. “Well, Anna,” he started, his gaze dropping as her movement distracted him; she had shifted her arms to the boards, leaning forward on her palms, elbows tight against her sides, and her chest was now thoroughly emphasized. 

Shitshitshitshit. 

“It’s…” he swallowed thickly, rolling his eyes to the ceiling before shoving his hand out in front of him. “I’m Kristoff. It’s really good to meet you.” 

She sighed and lifted one arm, her slim fingers sliding against his much larger ones. Her skin was velvet, and Kristoff tried his best to ignore the itching in his palm as he grasped her hand firmly. 

She smiled, then. “Can’t wait to work together.”

And then he tore his hand away, slapped his mask down back over his face, and skated away.

… Only to shamefully come back when Mattias whistled and held up his mitt, Anna laughing beside him.

—

They usually went to lunch after morning practices, and today was no different. Except for Sven laughing hysterically at Kristoff’s pouting, red face. 

“You’re totally gonna fuck her.”

“What the hell are you talking about.”

“Oh, baby boy!” Sven clapped one hand on his shoulder, tearing into his sandwich with the other. “This is a classic case of hate sex! Fueled by an intense distaste and extreme sexual attraction.” 

Kristoff felt his cheeks flush deeper as he shrugged away from his friend, picking at his burger. “Why would I fuck someone I hate?”

“Because the chemistry is too much to bear until you tear into one another, in more ways than one.” He winked, his laughter calming, and took another bite of his food. His mouth was full as he continued. “I mean, obviously you’re  _ you _ and you want a  _ connection _ or whatever, but...” he swallowed before finishing. “C’mon dude. She’s hot and you haven’t gotten laid in like over a year.”

Kristoff didn’t even want to eat anymore. 

Maybe it was true, that he was a  _ little _ into her. She had stayed for the rest of the practice and he had a hard time focusing on what was going on around him. But so did some of the other guys. They were  _ all _ thrown off by having that fire of a woman observing. “How do you know she’s single? Or straight? Or maybe she wants to fuck Jacobs?” Kristoff picked up a tomato before dropping it back onto his plate in disgust. “Also, she hates me.”

Sven let out another chuckle. “Listen. I talked to all the guys afterward.” He turned in his chair to face the goalie. “They all had run of the mill,  _ my-name, her-name, _ shake hands and leave meetings. You’re the only one that had something like  _ that _ —“

“Yes, because she  _ hates me _ .”

“ _ And _ …” Sven pinched Kristoff’s cheek and Kristoff couldn’t help but smack his friends’ hand away. “She couldn’t stop staring at you.”

“You’re delusional.”

“Nah, baby, I know women. And I know  _ you.  _ And she, my friend, is probably your future wife.”

Kristoff could only grunt in reply before popping one lonely fry into his mouth. 

Sven didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. 


	4. Chapter 4

Anna sighed as she walked into her apartment, kicking off her heels and almost immediately undoing her bra. Oh, sweet relief. Her first day went better than expected, all things considered. She had taken notes of player names, numbers, and positions, hoping to get her best chance at remembering them all. It wouldn’t look so good if she couldn’t even remember their  _ names _ . 

She padded to her small kitchen, barely enough room for a stove and fridge, and poured herself a hefty glass of wine. It may have only been three in the afternoon, but she deserved it, damn it.

Moving to the living room, she fell backwards ungracefully onto her small loveseat and took in a deep breath before sipping at her glass. 

And then promptly pissed herself off by thinking about that stupid goalie.

When he had come over to meet her, Anna had noticed the way his eyes had roamed. Noticed the way his cheeks flushed. It was easy enough to play with. So she had, and then, god damn it, she found that she wanted more than just his eyes on her.

She made the next sip a long one.

He had apologized, even if it seemed forced, and she appreciated that he owned up to it, at the very least. And then he shook her hand and she felt an actual  _ shock _ course up her spine.

And then she spent the next hour watching him out of the corner of her eye, imagining that stupid large hand in her hair, around her thigh, under her skirt — 

_ Oh my god shut up _ .

One of the players had scored on him, and he skated forward, ducked low, and grabbed his teammate around the waist before hoisting him over his shoulder, the whole team laughing along. If he could lift a six-foot tall hockey player over his shoulder with ease, what the  _ hell _ would he be able to do to her?

She… needed to have sex, god damn it.

But not with  _ him _ .

Or  _ maybe _ with him.

She really didn’t know what to think. He was an ass but god damn was he attractive.

Anna was gnawing on her lip, finger twisting in her still loose curls, mind wandering farther and farther into that forbidden place when her phone started ringing. Startled and flushed, Anna scrambled across the sofa to dig in her bag and find the offensive sound. She looked down to see her fathers’ name flashing across the screen, and she practically yelped before taking a deep breath and pressing accept.

“Hi, papa.”

“Hello, Anna. How did your first day go?”

Anna sighed and slumped further down into the couch. “It went really well, but I think they all wished the actual owner was there instead of his know-nothing daughter.”

“Oh, they’ll warm up to you, everyone does.”

Her heart pounded heavier in her chest, anxiety growing with every thump. That stung, more than she thought it would.

“... Thanks, papa.”

“Are the new players I brought in meshing well with the other men”

“I… think so.” If she was being honest, Anna didn’t really know. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure who was here in the first place and who he traded for. She heard him sigh and she clenched her phone a little tighter. “I’m sorry, I think I’ll know more after a few days.”

“Sure. Well, I’m glad it went well.”

“Me —“

“Bye, Anna. See you on Sunday.”

Her eyes fluttered, trying their best to blink away the wetness that was threatening to build up behind the lids. “Yeah, papa, bye…” 

Love you, too.

Maybe she should fuck the goalie. Just to piss him off.

Anna threw back the rest of her glass, and immediately moved to get another one.

—

The next few days were a whirlwind of paperwork, learning the ropes, and practicing the kind of things she would be covering in her interviews. During games, she’d be wandering around the Arena, doing fun events with fans - games, trivia, and other similar things to help them feel included and entertained during intermissions and downtime in play.

It sounded really fun, after all! Anna really couldn’t wait to get out there and talk with the fans. She was a little nervous that they’d see right through her, but Gerda promised her that there would be little to no hockey knowledge she would  _ actually _ have to know - they’d go over anything that would come up beforehand. 

With players, however, she’d be discussing outcomes, how they were feeling, how they planned to move forward from potential bad plays and penalties.

_ That _ made Anna  _ super _ nervous. She was assured that the players probably wouldn’t want to talk to her too much anyway, would just want to get back on the ice or back to the locker room, and they all knew that media didn’t always know as much about the game as they did. They’d prep her before any interviews, let the players know what she knew, and it would run smoothly, no problem.

No problem.

None… nope.

She still wanted to learn more about the game, and Sven  _ had _ offered.

Anna made her way to the locker room, saddened to not see him around. It wasn’t until she ran into another player, Bryant, she thought his name was, that she was directed to the weight room, assured that Sven was in there, getting in his daily sets.

As she approached, she heard his voice and the tell-tale dropping of weights, and suddenly grew slightly embarrassed. Would he want her interrupting him? Would it annoy him? She figured he seemed nice enough, but he was a professional, and probably wouldn’t appreciate some newbie from the media team bugging him to learn the basics of the game, which she could just as easily  _ google _ …

But he  _ offered _ .

Taking a deep breath, Anna hiked her bag further up her arm, stepped into the doorway, head down, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist. “Hey, Sven, sorry to bother y—“

And then she made the mistake of looking up.

Standing in front of her, glistening with sweat, shirt half up his chest as he wiped at his forehead with the hem of it, was number 72, goalie extraordinaire, Kristoff Bjorgman. 

“Sorry uh,” she felt her entire face flush as her eyes took in the sight before her, hard chest, strong stomach, thin waist with a  _ defined _ hipbone and Jesus  _ Christ _ this was not  _ fair _ . “Sven uh, you…” she hummed, reaching down to the bag on her shoulder desperate to turn her focus anywhere,  _ anywhere  _ but the delicious drip of sweat that had started between his pecs and was slowly making its way down down  _ down _ .

“Hey, Anna!” Sven laughed, looking between the two of them. “What’s up?”

She tried to focus on him, the one who was not tormenting her with his body. Totally ignoring the smirks that had stretched on both of the mens’ faces. “Oh, god, nothing really.” She pulled out a useless piece of paper and shook her head in annoyance. “Just, um, went over what my responsibilities would be here on the media team and…”

Her eyes glanced up for just long enough to see Kristoff’s hands move to his hips, dropping his shirt, but not  _ enough _ because there was still a damn piece of skin peeking out over his loose basketball shorts and Anna started backing up with a laugh.

“Well, god, you know I don’t know anything,” she bumped into a piece of equipment before startling and jumping to the side. “You said you’d be willing to teach me? I was…” and then she tripped over her own feet and rammed her back into the doorframe. Mumbling a curse under her breath, she did her best to stand tall and bite down her blush, which had spread down her chest and warmed her entire body. 

“Are you still able to help?”

Sven was snickering behind his hand, glancing up at Kristoff before turning his gaze back to Anna. “Yeah Anna, absolutely.”

“Great!” She was definitely too perky. “That’s… that’s great, thanks so much. So we can set a time —“ Turning her head to check her surroundings first, Anna stepped backwards through the doorway. “Maybe early next week, um, okay, thanks!”

As soon as she was out of sight, Anna leaned back against the wall and sighed, blushing deeper when she heard Sven burst out laughing, a loud “I told you so!” following.

Oh Jesus fucking Christ.

—

Her father, true to his word, showed up early Sunday morning, meeting her and Coach Mattias at the rink. They gave him a tour, a quick overrun of all their plans for the season, and soon enough, he seemed elated. 

“It all sounds great. Thank you, Mattias. Anna, shall we?”

Anna glanced briefly at the coach, apologies in her eyes at the short meeting and abrupt departure of her father, before following him down the hall. “Papa, you should really meet all the guys —“

“There’s time for that, later.” He turned back to her for just a moment, frowning. “Is there anywhere decent around here for lunch?”

And soon they were driving towards the local pub, one that Anna had been frequenting in lieu of actually getting groceries for her apartment. It was delicious, but rough around the edges. Maybe that’s why she liked it so much. The complete opposite of everything in LA. 

Her father didn’t agree.

There was clear disgust on his face as they sat at a booth, and he immediately started laying out napkins as if to protect his skin from the wood of the table.

“Papa…” she groaned, rolling her eyes. “It’s  _ clean _ .”

“I’m sure.”

They ordered, and sat in silence for a while as he turned to his phone, checking emails and anything else that could distract him from their first moment together in almost two weeks. 

Anna bit at her lip and picked at her nail. “So… how are things?”

He blinked up at her, frowning. “I suppose, just fine. Elsa is working closely with me, keeping an eye on new and upcoming players. We’re hoping to make it to the finals this year.”

She tried her best to give him a genuine smile. “Oh, yeah, that sounds good.” Her eyes dropped to the table, continuing to scratch nervously at her nail. “Things are good here, too,” she tried, hoping for some actual engagement. 

When he put his phone down with another sigh, Anna counted it as a win. “That’s great, Anna. Do you think you’ll like your job?”

An actual smile graced her lips before she let out a little laugh. “Oh, yeah, I think it’ll be great. Sven —“

“Sven?”

“Oh, the… the captain. Pederson?”

“Right, yes.”

“He,” she mumbled, confidence dwindling. “He’s going to teach me a bit about the game, help me actually understand what’s happening, so I don’t… you know, make a fool of myself.” Anna finished with a laugh, thankful that she could see their food coming from the corner of her eye.

“Well, yes.” He paused to thank the waitress, smiling. “That’s… good.”

Anna swallowed, hearing the hesitation in his voice.

“Yeah, and, uh…” She started pulling her silverware out of the napkin roll. “Well, I had a little problem with the goalie, at first. But I think —“

“Please don’t cause any trouble.”

She could already feel tears prickling at her eyelids. “What? He —“

“I didn’t mind you messing around with them in LA, Anna. We had no… investment to worry about.”

His face was so stoic, she couldn’t bear to look at him. 

“I  _ do not _ want to —“

“ _ Please _ , Anna. We can’t afford your… reckless behavior, this time.”

“I never  _ did _ anything…”

Agnarr snapped at the waitress, and Anna felt her entire body tense. God, she hated when he did that. But calling her over was her father’s way of stopping the conversation. He clearly had no interest in hearing what she had to say, and suddenly Anna couldn’t wait for him to leave.

She never did  _ anything _ in LA. Just a couple dates with lame guys, only  _ one _ of whom was decent enough for her to even  _ want _ to hook up with. And by the end of it, Anna realized that he was the most self-centered man she had ever met who only cared about getting himself off, and then she blocked his number and moved on with her life.

And quite frankly, she did not appreciate her father insinuating something different.

What a nice visit this was turning out to be.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, eep. Decided to note POV changes with a larger gap in text, since this one changed mid-chapter :) let me know if that’s good!

Sven had kept true to his word, and after practice for the last few days he had been inviting her out to lunch or dinner to help her learn the basics of the sport. In return, she happily bought him whatever food or drink he wanted. 

“So that, and icing, are two major things that will cause a stoppage of play.”

Anna spent a lot of time nodding and writing notes these days. She wanted to prove that she could do more than just smile pretty for the camera, wanted to  _ prove  _ that she could figure this all out and be an  _ actual _ reporter for the team. Or at least more than just a recognizable face. 

“Other than penalties.”

“Yeah, those too,” Sven chuckled, nodding. “And unfortunately, some of our boys really like to get penalties.” 

She couldn’t help but laugh. From seeing how they behaved in practice, it wouldn’t really surprise her to see a long list of penalties per game. “Hey, as long as they get it done, right?”

“Right.”

He leaned over, grabbing the pen and notepad from her before drawing a diagram of the rink. “So… here’s the anatomy of an ice rink.”

They spent another thirty minutes discussing every marking on the ice, learning who was positioned where, what faceoff circle was used when, what all the marks around the net meant, and every other little thing that she questioned him about. Anna’s brain was starting to hurt. It wasn’t  _ complicated _ , but it was just  _ so much _ .

“I think it’s time for another drink,” she laughed, twisting in her chair and looking around for the server.

A smile was on her face until her eyes landed on  _ him _ , walking through the door with a cocky grin pulling at his lips. She felt her cheeks flush, and a thick lump form in her throat as her fingers tightened on the back of the chair.

Sure, she had been seeing him at the rink, but rarely out of gear, and rarely… this put together.

His dark wash jeans were tight and fitted around his thighs and ass, a cream colored Henley stretched over his chest, and it was all topped off with a warm, all-the-colors-of-autumn flannel rolled up past his forearms. Sighing deeply, Anna bit at her bottom lip, startling when a finger tapped her shoulder. 

“You’re drooling.”

Anna jumped, wiped at her lower lip, and frowned as her lipstick smeared across the back of her hand. “What?” She laughed, pressing her hands flat against the table. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Fuck, did he  _ know _ ?! 

Sven grinned and raised his hand in the air. “Kris! Over here!”

Anna shrunk, face beet red and thumb raised to her mouth, teeth chewing nervously on the nail. Why was she getting so flustered? She had been pretty successfully avoiding him over the last few days, knowing that she was horribly embarrassed after the incident in the weight room, and knowing that the second he opened his mouth she’d probably be irritated again. 

But lord, she liked to look. 

She could feel his presence behind her, looming over the back of her chair as he moved to sit in the only free chair at the table, his hand skimming the backrest of her seat. “Why’d you invite  _ her _ ?” He started, jerking his thumb towards her as his eyes locked on Sven. 

“Well, to be fair, she and I were already here, and I invited  _ you _ .” Sven lifted one brow, frustration obvious on his features. “Didn’t I tell you to try and stop being an asshole?”

Anna couldn’t help the laugh that came out as more of a snort, and Kristoff’s eyes jerked over to her, looking her up and down quickly before he rolled his eyes.

“We were going over the basics. Any brilliant bits of insight you’d like to bestow upon her?” Sven seemed as if he was trying to keep it casual, but Anna could sense a tiny bit of tension rising around the table. 

It was probably because of her. 

Kristoff lifted one hand to signal to the curious waiter that he was ready, and quickly ordered a beer. “Insight?” He laughed, leaning forward with his arm pressed against the table top. “Maybe don’t get a job in a sport you know nothing about?”

Anna felt her shoulders tighten, and clenched her fingers on the table edge. She would not let him get to her. She would not let this asshole get under her skin. 

“Another great piece of advice. Thanks  _ so _ much.”

“Kristoff.” Sven’s voice held a warning, as if the strict captain was starting to emerge. “I’m serious.”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, taking a swig of his beer as soon as it came. Then stayed quiet. As if he decided it was better to say nothing at all, because he probably didn’t have anything nice to say anyway.

Anna felt herself shrinking, felt herself frustrated and upset from one sentence. All he had to do was open his mouth, and her good mood was shot. “You know…” Sven turned to her, and Anna smiled while reaching down to grab her bag. “I should probably go. Thanks,” she patted his shoulder and moved to stand.

“Oh, come on,” Sven leaned further back in his chair, and she jumped slightly when he kicked Kristoff under the table. “You don’t have to go on account of this dickwad.” 

Kristoff was practically glaring at Sven.

“Seriously, right Kristoff?”

Kristoff rolled his eyes and lifted the bottle to his lips, voice monotone and clearly sarcastic. “Oh, please, don’t go.”

Taking in a deep breath, Anna raised her bag to her shoulder, straightening her posture. “No, it’s fine. I’m very clearly not wanted here. But, Sven,” she turned to him then, leaning forward and squeezing his shoulder again. “Seriously, thanks so much. Can we meet again tomorrow?”

He smiled and nodded. “Maybe do a mock-interview?”

Anna felt herself lighten. Sven was a good friend, and she was grateful that he wasn’t hitting on her like some of the other players were. “Sounds great.”

She stood straight again and turned to Kristoff. “Kristoff, a pleasure as always.”

“Always. See ya.”

An exaggerated eye roll and then she stalked off, hands gripping the strap of her bag tighter. She felt a burning on her back, and itch on her neck, and she scurried out even faster, a blush rising on her cheeks. 

God damn it.

—

-

—

Kristoff let out a low whistle as she left. So sue him, she had a great ass and she was wearing these tight, high waisted jeans that did nothing but emphasize it, and boy oh boy he was completely fine with looking. He laughed as she darted out of sight, and turned his attention back to Sven, who was glaring at him with disdain. 

“What?” Kristoff grinned, tapping his bottle on the table. “What!”

“You know what, you prick.”

Rolling his eyes and reaching over to steal a fry from Sven’s plate. ”She’s a spoiled little rich girl who doesn’t deserve the job she got.”

Sven kicked him again, eyebrows furrowing. “At least she’s trying! She could just not _ care _ .”

Kristoff scoffed, crossing his arms and slumping lower in his chair. Sven wa _ s right _ , but he wouldn’t admit that out loud. 

“Look, man,” Sven started, clasping his hands together in front of him on the table. “I know you’re like super weird whenever you feel like something could affect your career, but just…” he rolled his neck, curls bouncing with the movement. “She’s a nice girl, I don’t think she  _ asked _ for this job. Besides, it’s not like she’s doing anything that’s hard. Just interviewing. Anyone could do that job.”

He let out a  _ hmph _ before scratching at the back of his head.

“Give her an actual chance, dude.”

Kristoff didn’t know exactly what it was about her that was getting so deep under his skin. It wasn’t just the attraction, right? He’d been attracted to other girls who worked at the rink, and that never got him quite like this.

Was it the threat that she was related to the owner? That letting her get close could just result in more hurt? In career-ending fights?

Or was it the way she could handle him, kick him back down a notch, the sheer fire in her personality that made him sweat with just a glance?

He groaned, leaning forward and pressing his head against the table. “Fine, fine. I’ll…” he swallowed, rolling his head to look up towards Sven with sad little eyes. “I’ll  _ try _ . But I’m not promising anything.”

Sven clapped a hand on his back, grinning. “It’s all I’m asking for, buddy.”

Let’s see how long this lasts. 

—

Eventually he got home, a few drinks later, and sat down in his office to watch back some tapes. He needed to figure out where he was lacking last season and make it better. 

At least, that was his intention.

But then he wound up on her social media accounts, and couldn’t stop scrolling. Photo after photo of her in different places, smiling brightly, posing, showing off outfits, and all around just writing about her experiences. Far enough down, there was a photo of her in an L.A. Kings jersey, and he felt his features contort with disgust. Poor choice, in his opinion.

Beyond that she had a few pictures with some assorted players, and he felt like some of his suspicions were being confirmed. A girl like that, looking like she does, surrounded by horny hockey players that would do pretty much anything to have sex with her… there was no way she wasn’t taking advantage of it. Especially with how she posed with them, with how their hands rested low on her hips. Especially with how she was putting herself on display.

That, he realized, was what was bothering him. 

She knew he was attracted to her, and  _ fuck _ he knew she was attracted to him, and she must be plotting. But there was no way. He would _ not _ have sex with the owner’s daughter. He would not risk his career like that. No matter how hot she was. Nope. 

She would  _ not _ win.

He’d be nice. 

But that was  _ it. _

He could handle this, easy peasy.

Until the next day, when Sven asked him to fill in for lunch with Anna, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. 


	6. Chapter 6

Anna was waiting patiently outside the locker room, scrolling mindlessly through her phone when Sven jogged towards her, out of breath and flushed. “Hey, Anna.”

She smirked and waved, tucking her phone back into her jacket pocket before he continued.

“So, something came up.” Coming to a stop in front of her, he took in a deep breath and stood up straight, his hands pushing against his lower back. “I can’t do lunch today.”

Disappointed but understanding, Anna set her mind on going home and practicing alone. He’s been more than accommodating, it’s only fair that she not be upset about him canceling once. “Oh, well —“

“But!” He interrupted, grinning. “Kristoff is going to help you instead.”

“What? Oh,” Anna held her hands up in front of her chest, shaking them back and forth. She was certain her eyes were practically popping out of her head. “Oh, we can just reschedule it’s really fine, it’s…”

And then from behind her, a low and smooth voice. “Tell me how you really feel.”

Her lips pressed together, cutting off her rambling words, and she turned slowly to look up at Kristoff, freshly showered and staring down at her with a cocked eyebrow, his still damp hair falling in his eyes. “Oh…” She stood straighter, coughing quietly before continuing. “Hello.”

“Hello.” He shuffled uncomfortably, eyes darting between Sven and Anna before he shoved off the wall he was leaning on, and gestured over his shoulder. “Should we go?”

Anna flushed, glancing back at Sven with panic in her eyes, frustration growing as he only offered a sheepish grin in reply. He turned back to Kristoff, standing straighter as her eyebrows furrowed together. “You really,  _ really _ don’t have to do —“

“It’s fine.” He ran a hand over his hair, shaking it out as he turned on his heel to walk out the back exit. “I’m starving. And I hear you’re buying.”

Taken aback at his boldness, Anna was frozen for a moment before she could even think to follow him. “Oh. If I’m paying…” She turned back to Sven quickly, offering her best  _ why-did-you-do-this-to-me  _ grimace, and then hurried down the hallway behind the goalie. “I definitely have a limit.”

A satisfied smile pulled at her mouth as he set his jaw, seeming to be holding back a smirk of his own. She waved back at Sven as he excused himself, and she could swear she heard him singing some jingle, but it was just as likely she was imagining it. “Back to the pub?” She asked, finally catching up to his long strides. He only nodded in reply.

Until he said “we can take my car.”

Anna flushed, pointed over towards her vehicle on the other side of the lot, ready to  _ insist  _ on taking different cars, but realized he was paying her no mind anyway and quickly followed closely behind. It was a simple Ford pickup, deep blue with silver trimmings, and Anna found herself surprised that he didn’t have something more expensive. It was… really nice, actually, that he didn’t buy something extravagant. 

Not without effort, she managed to climb her way into the cab, and let out a huff of air as he chuckled, turning the engine over. 

“Men who lift their trucks are clearly compensating for something,” she mumbled, more to herself than anything as she reached up and over to buckle herself in. When she looked back up, his eyes were trained on her, a smirk pulling at his lips. “What?”

His gaze ran down her body, making her blush before he shrugged. “Nothing.” 

This was a bad idea.  _ He _ was a bad idea. 

The truck started up with a low rumble, and Anna couldn’t help but keep her eyes locked on his profile. He was focused, but drove smoothly, the wheel sliding slick between his fingers as it spun back to place. She could see him working his jaw, as if he was trying to come up with  _ something _ to say. It still startled her slightly when he finally spoke.

“So…” He coughed once, easing himself into it. “What brought you here?” He mumbled, glancing over at her once before returning his eyes to the road. 

Anna shouldn’t have been surprised, really, that that was all he could come up with. “... My father bought the team, and we all moved here.”

He coughed again, tense, but then shook his head with an uncomfortable laugh. “Right. I mean, you’re old enough to live on your own, right?”

Rolling her eyes, Anna slumped back against the door. “Not with a father like mine,” she muttered, her voice hardly above a whisper.

“What?”

“Nothing.” A sigh. “I do live on my own. Just wanted to stay close to family, I guess.”

Kristoff was clearly out of his element here, and she figured if he was giving it a shot, why couldn’t she? Anna had always prided herself on her ability to create small talk out of nothing. Sure, sometimes she probably just annoyed people into talking to her, but the end result was the same, right?

She tried a simple “are you from around here…?”

He stopped at a red light and squinted his eyes, trying to see the light through the high sun beaming through the windshield. “No.”

So he wasn’t trying  _ that _ hard. Maybe something a little more engaging? “Why did you start playing hockey?”

His grip tightened on the wheel, and Anna bit at her lip as she watched him. It was almost as if he didn’t want her to know anything about him. As if he was dead-set on not revealing a single thing about himself. But then he let a soft, hardly audible answer slip out. “My dad played.”

Okay, they were getting somewhere now.

“It’s nice to have something in common with your parents, isn’t it?” She couldn’t relate, but that feeling was easy enough to fake. Just the opposite of how she really felt. 

“Yup.”

And that was it. No more revealing answers would come from Kristoff. But she figured they were close enough, that she would try again when they got settled. Worst case, she’d try again after he had a few drinks in him. 

When they finally got to the pub, they had sat in silence for a while. They ordered food and drinks, and sat across from one another, avoiding talking for as long as possible.

But Anna couldn’t take it anymore. “Okay, so…”

Kristoff’s brows shot up as he looked at her.

“We were going to go over penalties, today, and maybe a mock interview, so I could practice…?” 

He seemed bored, disinterested, straight up annoyed to have to be here. But he had agreed to it, and Anna was going to make him help her even if it took all night. 

Swallowing her own frustration, Anna bit at her bottom lip while trying to ignore the way his eyes dropped to her mouth and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. She was stupidly attracted to him, and it made her  _ angry _ because he was a obviously a  _ jerk _ . 

“... But instead, maybe you could tell me specifics about being a goalie?”

Kristoff let out a breath of a laugh and shrugged. “I don’t know. You stop pucks.” He leaned back, stretched his arm across the back of the empty chair that sat between them, and shrugged. “That’s pretty much it.” 

“Oh, come on. There’s clearly technique to it.” Anna was going to  _ try _ , even if it killed her, to get him to have a conversation with her. 

“... You want me to tell you all the ins and outs of being a goalie?” Now he seemed annoyed, as if she was asking too much of him.

“No…” Anna swallowed and slumped into her chair, biting at the nail on her thumb. A heavy silence fell between them again. What was she supposed to do? He clearly didn’t want anything to do with her. But they drove over together, so it seemed she was stuck.

But then she recalled that  _ she _ didn’t ask him to come. He agreed to it without her involvement at all. 

“Why did you even agree to this?” She wasn’t sure she wanted him to hear, and she could hear her voice dropping low as if to hide behind the noise in the restaurant.

But it still seemed to catch his attention. He sighed and cracked his neck before lifting one hand in the air, gesturing vaguely around them. “I promised Sven I’d try to be nice.”

Scoffing, Anna rolled her eyes and slid further down her seat. “You’re doing a  _ great _ job.”

Kristoff rolled his eyes and leaned forward, laying his forearms on the table as his hands met in between them. “At least I’m  _ here _ .”

“What good is that if you’re just going to ignore me and shut down any conversation?” Her voice was flat as she turned her attention to the other side of the pub, lifting the glass and tiny straw to her lips. She half expected him just to ignore her anyway, to continue on drinking his beer, pretending she hadn’t even spoken. But she could still feel his eyes burning into the side of her face.

Kristoff’s jaw was set as he stared her down, eyes narrowing. “Look, I just…” His hands moved to his lap, pressing down against his knees. “Why are you doing all of this?”

She continued to stare across the way, hoping to give him a taste of his own behavior. Why was she doing all of  _ what _ ?

“You obviously don’t need to learn this stuff.”

That bothered her enough to make her turn back to face him. “Why do you say that?”

If he rolled his eyes one more time she thought they would stick there permanently. 

“You just…” he gestured vaguely at the entirety of her, and scoffed under his breath. “You clearly get whatever you want. And they obviously won’t fire you if you suck.”

She swallowed thickly, sitting up higher in her chair. Anna could feel heat radiating off of her face, but hoped with everything in her that he couldn’t  _ see _ it. He really didn’t know anything, did he? He didn’t know  _ her _ , but he was acting like he did.

“I just think it’s shit that you got this job because of your  _ daddy _ .”

Anna stood, then, smiling. She felt how it contorted her features,  _ felt _ how wild she must have looked, with the chair pushed out a foot behind her, eyes wide and grin pulling tight at her cheeks. “Well,” she sighed, reaching behind her to grab her wallet and pull out some cash, leaving what she hoped was enough plus a generous tip on the table. . “Look at the time. I have to go tell my  _ father _ how the team is doing.”

Ah, yes, there was the panic she wanted to see. “Wait, I —“

“I’ll make sure he knows what a good  _ help _ you’ve been, Kristoff.”

And then she left, bag clutched between her fingers. She wouldn’t cry. She definitely would  _ not _ cry. Not when she tripped on the curb on her way out. Not when he didn’t follow her to apologize. Not even when she remembered that he drove them there, so she had to find a way back to the rink that wouldn’t humiliate her.

She was good at not crying. She was good at pretending she was okay.

—

Anna skipped the rink for a couple of days. She had called Gerda, asking if she wouldn’t mind if Anna took a long weekend. There wasn’t much for her to do until pre-season anyway at this point, and Gerda seemed to be content with what Anna had already picked up, so she allowed it,  _ just this once _ , she emphasized. 

Sven had texted her, asking how lunch went. Assuming Kristoff had already told him about the disastrous attempt at  _ bonding _ , Anna just sent back a shrugging emoji and left it at that. There was clearly no hope that Kristoff was ever going to be nice to her, and Anna was working on accepting that. She had always been used to being handed whatever she wanted, just like he said, but being  _ disliked _ because of who her father was… that was a new one. 

At least, in her head it was. Usually if people didn’t like her, they pretended they did until she was out of earshot. Up until now, she had thought she was okay with that. 

In the end, Anna had almost felt bad for pretending she had any say in what her father did with the team, but the alarm that had rang through his eyes  _ had  _ been satisfying. Kristoff was wrong about her, there was no doubt in her mind. Maybe she had been handed a job, but she always took pride in her work, always made an effort to be the best she could be. If he gave her a  _ chance _ , he would see it. If he spent half as much time paying attention as he did with his head up his ass, he’d be  _ well  _ aware that she was here, trying her best with what she was given.

She didn’t ask for this job. She would never ask to be given something she didn’t deserve.

Anna was going to put in the effort to make sure she  _ did _ deserve this, in the end. She was going to prove that to everyone who ever thought she was just a spoiled girl.

She was going to prove it to her father.

To Kristoff.

To  _ herself _ .

She  _ deserved _ this job.

She was going to kick ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not super happy with this one, but ready to move on lol. I hope this comes off as reason enough for why they continue to dislike one another.
> 
> Miscommunication and misunderstanding, in the end..... and being stubborn dicks, kinda. Lmao. 
> 
> ANYWAY. Onwaaaard.


	7. Chapter 7

Why couldn’t he stop doing that?

Kristoff sat for almost two hours, wondering if she would come back, and not wanting to be the dick who left her stranded if she did. He figured it was the least he could do, considering how he spoke to her. 

_ Why  _ couldn’t he stop  _ doing _ that?

It wasn’t like she had done anything, and he had genuinely gone into this lunch with the mindset to be  _ nice _ . But he didn’t expect her to start trying to get to know him or put him on the spot. He felt his whole body tense with the desire to stay hidden, stay secretive, to make sure that she knew as little about him as possible. Something deep inside of him was wailing to get out and open up. He let something slip. He mentioned his  _ father _ . The only person who knew about his father was Sven. 

Sven and his  _ real _ parents. The ones who took him in when his  _ father _ was too busy playing hockey to care about his young son.

He wasn’t ready for her to know about it. He wasn’t ready for the  _ media _ to know about it.

He wasn’t ready for the media to know that he was the son of Leif Sørensen, a powerful defenseman in the Super League who was more focused on making it to the NHL than caring about his family. Leif Sørensen, who wanted nothing more than to be the best player in the world and didn’t care when his wife left him and his newborn baby. Leif Sørensen, who would leave his son alone for weeks on end and didn’t even seem to mind when his child got taken away and was sent to live with a new family.

Leif Sørensen, who died young from a heart attack, who never made it where he wanted to, who practically sighed with relief when his son was adopted officially and moved to America.

Kristoff wished every day that his  _ father _ could see him now - wished that his father knew that his son accomplished what he couldn’t.

But he didn’t want anyone else to know about it.

So when he slipped, mentioned the tiniest little thing about it, he panicked. He threw on the worst attitude he could muster and shut her down. 

But she kept poking at him, wiggling her way into the tiniest crack he had shown, getting deeper and deeper under his skin. That was when he had to shut it down. He had learned from the best how to drive people away. As much as it panicked him, it helped that she did what he suspected she would and threatened to tell her father about it.

Spoiled little rich girl.

He sighed and finally stood, checking how much Anna had left and decided it was only right to try and give it back to her. It wasn’t her fault that this went to shit.

Sven was going to have his head.

—

“What the  _ hell _ is wrong with you!?”

Kristoff tried his best not to wince when Sven  _ actually _ punched him in the arm. He deserved it, he knew, and just let Sven continue on his rampage. His cheeks were red, brows low and eyes narrowed as he practically bared his teeth, ready to attack. “She was just trying to get to know you, was just trying to be  _ nice _ and what did you do? You’re a complete  _ asshole _ .” 

Sven leaned back, arms crossed over his chest as Kristoff tensed under his glare. He mumbled out something that he knew his captain wouldn’t hear, and grimaced when he felt Sven’s fist collide with his shoulder again. “I’m sorry!”

“No use in telling me that.”

“Look! She…” Kristoff threw his arms above his head with a groan and slumped further. “Something about her makes my stupid head want to open up and I  _ can’t _ , okay? I’m not…”

Sven softened for just a moment. Kristoff struggled to find his words, mumbling a few non-starts before he finally came up with something he knew would convey all that Sven needed to know.

“She got me to mention my dad. No one knows about my dad.”

“ _ Dude _ ,” Sven whined, clapping his hands on top of the slightly taller man’s shoulders. “Isn’t that a sign, though? Your subconscious is literally  _ screaming _ at you to let her in.”

“I don’t  _ know _ her… I don’t trust her.”

A scoff, a quiet “you’re an idiot,” and then his hand was practically cupping Kristoff’s cheek, an action he wasn’t sure he was so comfortable with. Then he patted it hard enough to almost be classified as a smack, and Kristoff felt himself relax.

“You can’t get to know her if you keep treating her like this.”

Why was Sven always right?

He swore that he’d apologize the next time he saw her. Sven nodded as if it were good enough, and left him alone. 

Unfortunately, Anna hadn’t shown up to the rink in a few days, and Kristoff could feel the panic rising in his chest like acid with every passing moment. Had he been bad enough that she quit? Or, worse, was she going back to see her father and make him do something about the disrespectful goalie? She  _ had _ threatened it… but was she really that kind of person?

It would be easier, he thought, if she were. 

He went through the practices, jumping at every person or sound that he thought could possibly be her, frowning when she didn’t come around the corner. He wanted to apologize, genuinely, but her not showing up was making that rather  _ difficult _ .

But it was a Monday and it was still early, and he hoped that maybe there was a chance of her still showing today. He jumped at the puck that hit the glass behind him, and looked up just in time to see Mattias stalking towards the ice. 

“Bjorgman, my office, please.”

Oh god damn it fucking shit no.

—

Coach wasn’t patient today, so Kristoff just stripped off his padding and jersey before heading to the office. Walking around in compression shorts and a tee-shirt weren’t out of the ordinary, so he hurried onward and hoped it was good enough. He had gotten a low chorus of  _ Oooo _ ’s as he skated off the ice, and when Coach silenced them with a loud bark of a  _ shut up and practice _ , Kristoff knew it was serious. 

So he moved quickly, padding down the halls, and frowned when he heard multiple voices coming through the closed door. Knocking tentatively, Kristoff pushed open the door and felt his heart start beating faster when he saw a familiar head of red hair, neatly arranged into two braids, her cheeks red and expression shameful.

_ She fucking didn’t. _

“Kristoff,” another voice said, pulling his attention away from her. Gerda, he thought he remembered her name being, the head of Public Relationships and Media, was standing in front of him, her hand extended. When he shook it, she gestured at the empty chair beside Anna and smiled. “Please, sit.”

He felt like a school kid again, getting scolded for cheating off an exam. 

Kristoff forgot his size for a moment and frowned when Anna’s arm retreated to her lap after his own brushed against it. Was she really that repulsed by him? Was he really that terrible of a person that just his arm  _ brushing  _ against hers made her recoil like that? 

There was an unfamiliar itch on the back of his neck, one he rolled his head to try and get rid of, frustration growing as it just got worse and  _ worse _ . “What’s going on?” He started, lifting a hand to scratch at the back of his head. It didn’t help.

Mattias sat at his desk as Gerda lowered herself to perch on the edge, arms crossing over her chest. 

Now he  _ really _ felt like a school kid again. Come on.

“I’m sorry, did…” her voice was meek as her eyes glanced to him for just a second before focusing on the gray carpet beneath their feet. “Is something wrong?”

Gerda smiled and shook her head, and Kristoff almost laughed as he and Anna breathed out a simultaneous sigh of relief. This still didn’t make sense, though. He leaned forward, bracing one hand on his knee as he did, elbow popping out to the side. “So what’s going on, then?”

“Well.” Mattias’ voice was powerful as ever, as he leaned forward on his arms and sighed. “Kristoff… It’s come to my attention that… you haven’t been doing so well with the media side of things over these last couple of seasons.”

_ What _ ?

“We’d really like it if you could make an effort to stick around for interviews, and show up to all of the charity events…” He shrugged. “And the fan events.”

Kristoff stiffened, frowning deeply. “I’m here to play  _ hockey _ , coach.”

Mattias gave him a nod, but shrugged. “Well, unfortunately… part of being in the NHL is giving back, and part of being on this  _ team _ , is participating in these events.”

He was balking now, his eyes wide and his hands gripping the edge of the desk as he leaned forward. “Come  _ on _ .”

“This is non-negotiable, Bjorgman.”

He threw himself back into the chair with a groan, arms crossing tightly over his chest. He was too busy pouting to notice Anna sit further forward in her own seat, hand meekly raised in the air. 

“So… why am I here?”

Gerda dropped her hands into her lap with a nod. “We’d like you to be the primary reporter in charge of covering and interviewing him. 

And, in sync, “ _ What _ ?”

She let out a soft laugh and sat up straighter. “Anna, I’ve been impressed with how much effort you’ve put into just your first two weeks, and I’d like for you to have a chance to make a name for yourself. Richard quit, and we need an on-the-ice interviewer… so I would like for you to give it a try.” 

Kristoff tried not to be distracted by the movement of her throat as she swallowed, and turned his attention back to the two sitting in front of them. “There’s no wiggle room here?”

Mattias shook his head. “None. You do this, or you’re benched.”

Shit.

Anna still seemed to be processing the information when they were excused, and Kristoff had to slow down his steps to stay in stride with her. “Hey,” he started, trying not to laugh when she jumped as if she hadn’t even noticed he was walking beside her. “I…”

She stopped, looking up at him with those pretty blue eyes, and Kristoff felt his face flush. “I wanted to apologize for the other day.”

He saw a change in her, when she stopped being overwhelmed by the news and was back to hating his guts. Anna crossed her arms and looked up and down his body, her hip cocking to the side. “Go ahead.”

“What?”

“Apologize.”

Kristoff’s eyebrows furrowed, his shoulders rising with confusion as he continued to stare her down. “I  _ did _ .”

“No,” she dragged out, her lips forming a perfect  _ o _ as she leaned slightly forward. “You said you  _ wanted _ to apologize.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“No!” Her arms dropped to her sides, tense and frustrated as she turned and continued to walk off. “You’re unbelievable!”

He was genuinely confused, tripping over his feet as he spun quickly to keep up with her long, angry strides. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry!” She stopped suddenly and he almost ran her over as he did his best to halt his steps. Kristoff took in a deep breath, blowing it out in one slow sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“All right.” Her voice was softer now, as if that was all he had to do to make her give him another chance. She looked down at her feet, suddenly bashful as he towered over her, arms braced on his hips. “Well,” she risked a glance up at him and scrunched her lips to one side. “If we’re going to have to work together, we… should probably figure out how to be civil.”

Kristoff felt a weight lift from his chest as he nodded. 

“I can be civil.”

She laughed, and he flushed again. Even her  _ laugh _ was pretty. 

“I doubt it, but I guess we should give it a try.”


	8. Chapter 8

Gerda wanted her to get some practice today. Some dumb, fluffy media that would just go on the internet when they ran out of things to report on, or if they felt that they needed something to smooth over any rough patches PR-wise. It was just going to be silly questions that were meant to play with the guys, get them comfortable with her, and to give fans something fun to watch that would bring the players down to a more relatable 

So Anna did herself up as nicely as she could. 

Her makeup was natural enough that she didn’t look ridiculous, but emphasized enough for all of her hard work to show up on the camera, she curled her hair and put the front up in a soft braid that circled the back of her head, and she slipped on a still professional but definitely tight black sweater dress, and a soft emerald green sweater, with knee-high black boots over sheer tights. But in her worry that it wouldn’t be what they wanted, she threw a couple more options into the back of her car before heading over to the local studio space that they had rented for the day. 

When she arrived, there were more cars than she was willing to count lines up around the lot, including Kristoff’s truck. Swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat, Anna got out of her car, elected to leave the other clothing so she didn’t look like a crazy person, and walked with purpose towards the studio doors. 

She was immediately greeted by Gerda, who smiled at her warmly. “I see you’ve taken care of hair and makeup, perfect,” she started, leading Anna by the elbow towards the small green room. “There are snacks and drinks back here while you wait. They’re just finishing up the shots for the players in jerseys, and we’ll be able to proceed with your segment soon. 

It was a whirlwind and Anna was grateful she processed anything that was said to her before Gerda ran off to find the next issue she needed to handle. 

There were a couple unfamiliar faces, but Anna’s eyes locked on to the one other female in the room, and let out a sigh of relief when she approached. “You must be Anna,” she smiled, her voice gentle. “Honeymaren, but you can just call me Honey.” Anna’s nose scrunched unwillingly, laughter in expression evident, and Honey smiled in response. “My parents are hippies, what can I say?”

Anna shook her hand before letting out another laugh. “I like it, it’s sweet.”

“... Like Honey?” 

They shared a laugh and Anna felt suddenly more at ease. It was nice to meet someone around her age and her gender in such a male-dominated area. She quickly learned that Honey was the same age as her sister, was in PR, and had been doing this for six years now. “So,” Anna started, clasping her hands together in front of her hips. “Is it always this crazy?”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Honey laughed, gesturing to the door. “If you want, we can go watch the videographer for a minute? It’s usually less crowded in the studio room.”

Anna nodded enthusiastically and they were soon on their way, making the usual small talk. They passed a few players who gave them winks and playful gestures, but none seemed too eager to stop and talk with them. Honey told her it was only because they had to go get into their suits for the talking head portion of filming and not because they didn’t  _ want _ to talk to her, and Anna did her best to brush it off.

“These boys are going to be talking to me  _ plenty _ over the season, I don’t blame them for not wanting to talk to me right now.”

With a chuckle, Honey pushed open the heavy studio door and nodded, leading Anna in. “I think they’ve just got the goalies left, and then it’ll be your turn!”

Anna realized exactly what that meant and felt her cheeks warm as she glanced up just in time to see Kristoff pulling off his mask to listen to the director, his blonde hair fluffy and falling around his ears in a gentle curl at the end. His face was serious until some comment she couldn’t hear made him laugh, and Anna could feel the warmth in her cheeks spread all the way to her toes. 

So he  _ does _ smile. And of course it was a really  _ pretty  _ smile, too. 

What good were his looks if they were given to a man with  _ his _ personality? 

She watched with interest as a photographer slid in to take some headshots, mask on and off, posing as if he were playing, and some just standing. 

“For stat boards,” Honey had chimed in with a grin. 

And then it was the videographers turn, and he made him do some traditional goalie stops. A dive, a slide, all these things that, too Anna, seemed like they would be impossible to do with all that gear and padding. But Kristoff made it look easy. 

They finished up quickly - Kristoff had been doing this for a few years now, and he moved to let their backup goalie do the same. He took his mask off again, shaking his hair loose, and Anna couldn’t say she wasn’t completely struck with his strong jaw and bright grin as he walked towards the exit. The one she was standing right in front of.

“Honeymaren,” he grinned, holding up his fist for a bump from the PR specialist. “Nice to see you as always.” Then his eyes drifted to meet hers, and Anna could swear she saw his pupils expand. “Anna…” 

She swallowed, expecting the worse.

“Don’t be nervous,” he winked, and Anna felt heat pooling in her stomach. “Just have fun with it.”

And then he pushed through them, his gear making him almost double his normal size, which was already more than double  _ her _ size, and Anna felt herself gawking at him as he left. “That,” she sighed, disbelief in her eyes. “Is the nicest he’s ever been to me.”

Honey let out a loud laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh, Bjorgman. His bark is worse than his bite, I’ll tell you what.”

Anna wasn’t sure if she believed it, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. 

—

“Thanks for watching IBTV.”

The director made one sharp clap and the lights changed, and Anna let out the biggest breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. A makeup artist trotted up to her, powdering her forehead and Anna felt distinctly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the whole team. 

“Great, that was excellent, Anna.” He swirled his pointer finger around the room signaling for a reset, and Anna felt herself flush. “One more, okay?” 

She nodded, stepping back to her mark and took in a deep breath as she stood straighter. Risking a glance to the side where she new Gerda and Honey were watching, Anna squinted through the lights when she swore she saw two much bigger bodies beside the women. 

Oh, god damn it. 

Kristoff and Sven were standing there, suited up and hair tamed, watching with grins on their faces. Kristoff just kept his arms crossed tightly over his broad chest as Sven gave her a double thumbs up, and Anna smiled back before switching her attention back to the camera. 

“Hey guys, Anna Arne with IBTV, and today we’re doing something  _ fun _ .” The director had asked her to be more animated, so she did her best to move naturally. Arms swung wide, fingers spread out for emphasis as she danced through her spiel. “Have you ever wondered who  _ your  _ favorite player idolized when they were a kid? How about their favorite Disney film? Whether or not they like olives?” 

She heard a small chuckle come from the crew and took it as solid encouragement. 

“Well,” she winked, leaning forward as if she were sharing a secret. “Tune in here to find out all of that and  _ more _ , on  _ Breaking the Ice _ , your Arendelle Ice Breakers’ weekly interviews.”

The director cut in to send her to her other mark, asking for her to do the outro again, clapping enthusiastically when she  _ nailed _ it. “Fantastic job, that’s the one!”

Anna couldn’t help herself as she almost  _ literally  _ jumped for joy, pumping her fist as subtly as she could before stepping off the small platform and skipping over to Gerda and Honeymaren, both smiling just as wide as she was.

“You’re a natural,” Honey grinned, patting her arm. “It’s like you belong in front of a camera.” 

Gerda simply nodded in agreement, clear pride evident on her features. “I can’t wait to get you on the ice with the boys.”

Anna had only a moment to relish in the praise before she felt Sven’s heavy arm drape around her shoulders, stealing all of her attention. “All right, Anna! You rocked that.” She flushed as he grinned, turning her around to face Kristoff. “Now, ready to have some  _ real _ fun?”

And with that, Sven was dragging her down the hall to the bigger studio space, the one with a solid white backdrop that they had been doing the player portraits in. Kristoff was following closely behind, a silent but looming presence. In the regular light of the hallway, Anna was finally able to fully take in how they looked, and grinned. “You guys look so nice!”

Sven’s curls were tamed and defined, slick as they fell over his dark skin, complemented nicely by his maroon suit and brown tie. She wasn’t surprised that he was the type to wear something more out there and daring, but it still filled her with glee to see something so bold. 

Kristoff, alternatively, was wearing a more classic suit, dark grey with a powder blue tie that made his eyes warmer, honey brown and sweet as he laughed at Sven’s antics. Anna only just noticed that his hair was gelled back, stiff and sleek. 

It looked nice, but she weirdly found herself missing the shagginess of it as it brushed over his brows. 

Her cheeks reddened as Kristoff glanced down, catching her staring, and turned her attention back forward.

—

The interviews went well. All the players responded well to her, laughing at some of the more ludicrous questions that included props, and Anna found herself relaxing with each set.

Sven was midway through the lineup, and was as cocky as ever. “Lay it on me, sister,” he laughed as they started, Anna poking at his shoulder. “I’m up for the challenge.”

The questions started easy, just some dumb this or thats, would you rathers, hockey tips, and favorites. Then there was trivia about things not-hockey related such as Disney princesses and 90s television stars. Finally, there were challenges. Can you juggle? Can you beat your teammate in arm wrestling? Can you do a handstand? 

Players were allowed to skip any question they wanted as this was all for fun, but leave it to Sven to take on each and every one.

Anna was belly laughing by the end of it, as he laid on the floor after trying and failing to do a cartwheel. “You should see Kristoff,” he laughed. “He does these in the locker room all the time.”

“That so?”

Anna trotted off the set, knowing it was unconventional, and grabbed the goalie by the arm, dragging him in front of the camera. “Come on, show us.” 

He held his hands up in front of his chest in protest, a blush evident on his cheeks. “Oh, no, no, that’s fine.” 

Sven stood up suddenly, squatting to be the same height as Anna, as they started chanting “Cartwheel, cartwheel, CARTWHEEL!”

“It’s just for warm-up!” He persisted, ears turning red. Sven continued on, even as she let up a little. Anna watched his entire body tense before he let out one heavy sigh and gave in. “Fine, you assholes.”

They’d bleep that out in post, she was sure.

“But if I break anything, you’re paying for it.” And then he was shrugging out of his jacket, and Anna was thoroughly enjoying the stretch of the thin white dress shirt over his muscles, the whole studio was clapping, egging him on. 

And then he  _ did a fucking cartwheel, _ his whole face red by the end of it. 

She couldn’t hide the surprise. “Wow!” She just about shouted, closing the distance between them. “Where did you learn to do that?”

Kristoff was still blushing, his eyes avoiding hers. “Ugh, I have two sisters,” he laughed, leaning forward to pick up his jacket. “Every day was gymnastics growing up, so… I don’t know, I just picked it up, I guess.” He shrugged it on and Anna tried not to be disappointed about it. “It feels like it gets my blood pumping, so I try to do them to wake up before every game. Maybe it’s all in my head.”

Anna laughed, taking in the genuine smile that had spread on his cheeks. 

“That’s… impressive.”

He tried to run a hand through his hair and frowned as he messed it up, glancing up to the camera. “Yeah, well, now I’m not answering anything else.” 

Anna knew it was a tease when he leaned over to punch the top of Sven’s arm, grinning widely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t know if this is something that’s actually done, but it was fun!!
> 
> Inspiration for the silly interviews come from the NHL’s own Puck Personality series lmao 
> 
> Anyway maybe Kristoff is warming up just a little. Guess we’ll maybe find out later!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UMMM just a *few* POV changes in this chapter. couldnt seem to get it to work otherwise so oh well lol hopefully it isn’t too distracting.

Kristoff could feel a palpable tension in the air, radiating off of all of his teammates and his coach, hell, off of the whole arena. It was only the first game of the pre-season, and ultimately it didn’t matter, but Kristoff was well aware that it set the tone for the entire year. If they started strong, they were putting their best foot forward from the get-go, showing the league that they were in it to win it. It let everyone know that they were done messing around and had their eyes on the cup.

He could hear the fans in the arena, could hear the pre-game coverage, could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He could do this. This game didn’t mean  _ anything _ .

So why was he so fucking nervous?

He was geared up, mask off, head in his hands, feet tapping impatiently on the ground, just waiting and waiting for the game to actually start. He had gone out for the warm-up skate, had spent some time blocking an onslaught of pucks, and even had messed around with some of the guys to try and take the edge off, but nothing seemed to be helping. 

Kristoff couldn’t seem to ease the knot that had buried deep in his stomach. 

Sven came over, plopping down on the seat next to him with a pat on his shoulder. “You okay, man?”

An attempt to smile.

“It’s pre-season. Let’s just have fun.”

Kristoff nodded and listened as best he could to coach’s speech, and soon they were moving towards the ice. Lining up on the runway, Kristoff and Sven standing to the side, the players were all shaking out their nerves. 

It made him feel better to know everyone else was feeling the same way. At least a little bit.

_ Please welcome to the ice _ , the announcer’s voice boomed through the arena, cueing their entrance. His teammates started their trek down the runway, fist bumping with Sven and Kristoff as they ran by, the first skate hitting the ice as the announcer yelled  _ Your Arendeeeeelle Ice Breakeeeeeers! _

With a double fist bump and a glove to the helmet, Kristoff and Sven followed the end of the line, skating their one circle around the ice before everyone found their starting positions or a place on the bench. Kristoff looked out across the ice, cracking his neck and tapped his stick against the net. He pulled his mask off in preparation for the anthem and felt a smile pulling at his cheeks as he looked up at the crowd.

Nothing was more exhilarating than a full arena. All of these people were here to see them play. All of these people were here to cheer them on.

It was the best feeling in the world.

One pitchy anthem later, the puck dropped.

Here we go.

—

The first period went well. He didn’t let a single puck in, and right-winger Warren managed to score in the last couple of minutes, pulling them ahead just in time. His defense line was playing at the top of their game today, and Kristoff couldn’t have been more grateful. There was such a difference from practice to game-time. He had almost forgotten how well he knew his teammates and how well he could predict their shots on goal. 

Squirting water on his face as the buzzer rang, signaling the end of the period, Kristoff blew out a sigh and started moving towards the runway. 

_ We’ll probably grab you for an interview after the third _ , Gerda had alerted him.  _ Be ready _ .

He saw Anna sitting on the edge of the boards interviewing Warren and felt his cheeks warm.

They had both been surprised at how well they worked together. Interviews were easy, if not actually kind of  _ fun _ . She pushed for non-cliche answers and he poked fun if he had the chance, and he found that he was starting to enjoy parts of talking to the media. That’s something he never thought he’d say. 

She had gotten him to do a fucking cartwheel on camera.

Sven had taken him out for a beer after the day was over and had tormented him  _ relentlessly  _ about everything from his tie - one that Kristoff personally felt had looked nice - to his interactions with Anna. 

He very sternly suggested that Kristoff had actually been  _ flirting _ .

_ All the cheeky grins? And telling her you thought she was pretty enough to be a Disney princess? Come on, even  _ I’m  _ not that cheesy _ .

Kristoff had flushed bright red, then, insisting that he was doing it for the  _ interview _ , to help make it more interesting. Who wants to watch a bunch of men not know the names of all the princesses? That simply could  _ not _ be worth a watch.

But she had leaned forward, her dress sneaking up her thighs, and laughed while placing a soft hand on his knee, and suddenly it was  _ more _ than that, wasn’t it?

God damn it, he needed to reel himself in, here. One pretty girl was not worth the risk to his career.

Warren held up his glove and Kristoff watched in awe as Anna’s tiny hand bumped against it, laughing brightly as he skated away. Kristoff chanced one glance at the Jumbotron and a warmth grew in his belly at her blown up freckles, dusting softly over her nose, and her plush lips, painted pink and wet, forming words he didn’t hear. 

Mattias yelled his name, and he snapped out of it, realizing he was the last one left on the ice, blocking the path of the zambonis. 

Fucking fuck fuck.

—

-

__

“You can  _ do  _ this, Anna. You’ve  _ got _ this. You’re  _ ready _ and you—“

“Anna?”

She let out an audible yelp as Gerda’s voice interrupted her pep talk. Her cheeks burned brightly as she turned, coughing nervously and smiling. “Oh, hey!” Judging by the amused look on her face, Gerda  _ definitely _ heard her. “I was just—“

“No worries, dear,” Gerda laughed, hiding her smile behind her hand. “We’ve all done it.”

Willing the blush back down, Anna tried her best to compose herself. Fingers pulled at her thick, fuchsia scarf as she settled her long hair around it, hoping it would help calm her nerves before she took a couple steps towards the doorway, the small heel of her boots clicking on the tile. She had been doing this for weeks, practicing, learning, memorizing… She was  _ ready.  _

Gerda patted a soft hand on her back as she passed, smiling wide. “Now remember, with the players, they’re going to be short and to the point. Just get a couple questions about the game in and then send them on their way.” 

Anna nodded, going over some simple questions in her head.

“Tonight’s fan involvement game is the slingshot bowling, and we have a few little trivia games for people up in the stands.” 

“Slingshot, trivia, got it.”

Gerda stopped, her hands asking Anna to stop too as she placed one on each shoulder. “Just have fun, sweetheart.” Her smile was so warm, Anna felt a hint of tears prickling at her eyes. “You’re  _ fantastic _ .”

—

About halfway through the first period, Anna was up in the stands, picking someone out from all the people swinging their hands up in the air. She had selected an older man, who looked kind of weasley and nervous, but also seemed like he’d know his stuff.

“Hi, sir, what’s your name?”

“Duke Weselton,” he grinned, shaking her hand with vigor. “I’ve never been picked for one of these!”

Anna laughed at his gusto, her whole body moving with his strong motions. “Oh, well, I guess it’s your lucky day!” She gestured up to the Jumbotron, a large camera in her face, and nodded once. “So, there are three questions, and if you get them all right, you win a jersey! Two right, you get a hat, and one, you’ll get a keychain. Sound good?”

“Oh, I’m so excited!” He was practically dancing, and Anna bit her lip to stop from laughing at him.

“Excellent!” She laughed, her amusement evident in her voice. “So, here we go!”

In the end, after all of his excitement, he was only able to answer one question correctly. He seemed defeated, but Anna felt she would have been thrilled to win anything at all. She did her best to keep her energy up after his morale crushing exit, and was filled with relief when the cameraman gave her a thumbs up and a wink. 

“That was awesome, Anna, great job.” 

And then they made their way back down to the ice for the end of the period. 

“Warren!” She hollered as he went for the exit, waving him over when he glanced up at her. “A minute?”

He flashed her a partially toothless smile, and Anna couldn’t help but grin back. 

Kristoff had perfect teeth, she remembered, and then suddenly she was pink cheeked and wondering why the  _ hell _ she thought about  _ that _ . 

“So, strong start in the first here, Warren,” she stammered, hoping to return her focus to the task at hand, trying her best to ignore the stuttering of her words. “That was a...  _ beautiful _ goal.”

He laughed and thanked her, and they were back on track as she asked him how it felt, being back on the ice after some off time, and how they planned to continue forward in the game. 

“Ah, you know,” he grinned, winking at her. “Just gotta keep scoring  _ beautiful goals _ .”

Anna felt her whole face flush, but she laughed anyway and gave him the fist bump he was clearly angling for. 

—

-

—

Kristoff was practically leaping for joy towards the middle of the ice as the third period buzzer rang, with the score four-nothing in their favor. This was going to be a good win, and he could feel his confidence rising with every save. Sven and his left-wing Kirkpatrick both met him in the middle, slamming their helmets together as the other players began their dogpile at center ice. He had a perfect game, and holy  _ shit _ did it feel good. 

As they started heading back, though, Kristoff saw Coach Mattias urge him over with a finger and he groaned, pulling the mask up to rest on top of his head. He felt a stick hit his ass and he gave one vulgar gesture towards his teammates before skating over to the bench. 

“Kristoff,” Anna started, a smile wide on her cheeks. “How are you feeling?”

He ignored the sound of her voice booming over the loudspeakers, shaking off a mitt to free his hand and push some of his sweaty hair out of his face. “Oh, I’m great, Anna, thanks for asking.” 

He had to lean over to get to her height, and he almost laughed at how ridiculous the difference  _ was _ . Barefoot he was easily six-four, but with skates on he had another four or so inches added to that. 

She was  _ maybe _ five-five, if that.

“You were absolutely on  _ fire _ in that net tonight, just really, really—“ he watched her stumble over her words for a second before a blush spread to her ears. “Hot.”

_ She just meant your game was hot, idiot, don’t you  _ dare _ — _

“Yeah, thanks, Anna,” he smiled, pushing his fringe back again when it fell back into his eyes and hoping the redness in his cheeks would just seem like exertion. He felt more vulnerable out here than in the studio, and he decided just to play it safe. “It just feels really good to be back out there, blocking pucks and winning games.” He laughed, relief easing that knot from his stomach. “But you know, the guys played great. There’s no winning without a solid team in front of me.”

“That’s a good point,” she laughed, tucking her hair back behind her ear. His smile faltered when those bright blue eyes locked onto his. “So, you ready for the next one?”

Kristoff shrugged before tilting his head to the side. “You know, I think we’re going to celebrate this good start and worry about the next one as it comes.”

A steady nod and Anna was turning more towards the camera. “Sounds like a plan. Well, thanks so much,” she gave him the nod to leave and he waved once at the camera before heading right back to the runway, listening to her voice echoing through the arena with the final wrap up. 

—

-

—

What was wrong with her? She thought about his teeth and then said he was  _ hot -  _ even if it  _ was  _ in relation to his playing - and now she couldn’t stop blushing thinking about that sweat on his hairline and how his whole body was probably glistening with it and  _ Jesus Christ shut the fuck up! _

Luckily she couldn’t get too wrapped up in her teenage-girl brain, as so many people from the media and PR team kept approaching her, congratulating her on a successful first day, and telling her that she absolutely  _ nailed _ it. Her heart was still racing with joy when she felt a heavy arm fall around her shoulders as she bent down to pack up her bag.

“Anna!” 

She swallowed, stiff, unfamiliar with the voice loud over her shoulder. A quick glance revealed the jet-black hair of Jake Warren leaning over her. A little of the tension eased up from her neck, but she still shrugged a little to try and shake him off of her as subtly as possible. “Oh, oh hi, Warren -“

“It’s Jake, for girls as pretty as you.”

She laughed, a lump forming in her throat. “All right, Jake…” 

“So,” he grinned, pulling her closer to his side. 

Anna had never felt so small, next to this man who was towering over her, powerful and intimidating.

“A couple of the guys are going out for beers…”

She continued to shift under his arm, feeling panic rising in her chest.

“I was thinking maybe you’d like to come? I know you hang out with Bjorgman and Pederson all the time…” he winked, insinuating something she wasn’t sure she liked. “A couple more of the guys - and me, of course - would like to get to know you better, you know?”

“Oh, jeez,” she tried to laugh it off as she decided not to be subtle anymore and fully removed herself from his grip. “I appreciate it, really,” she kept her eyes on his chin, trying her best to make sure he stayed level, but also trying not to lose her own cool. “I’m just  _ really _ wiped out right now, I don’t —“

He frowned, then, and Anna was sure this was going to take a turn for the worse. “Seriously?”

“I’m sorry, maybe next time!”

She heard some of the guys exiting the locker room and prayed that at least one of them would come over so she had an excuse to leave when he stepped closer to her, looming over her now. “Oh, come on. I’ve heard that you, you know,” he shrugged, a smirk pulling on his lips. “ _ Date…”  _ Those fucking air quotes around the word stabbed her in the chest. “Hockey players.”

Who would’ve…? Was this just what people assumed about a woman now?

Warren grabbed her hand and she swallowed thickly. Anna pulled it out of his grip roughly, wincing as her bracelets scraped across her skin. “I don’t know what you’re  _ talking _ about.” She was losing her temper, could feel a sneer on her face. “I  _ don’t _ date hockey players.”

He laughed, stepping closer. “I mean,  _ Westergaard  _ said —“

She was fuming now, about ready to rip his head off when she heard footsteps coming closer. 

“Hey.” 

Anna almost deflated with relief when she recognized Kristoff’s voice coming down the hall. She turned to face him and saw suspicion in his furrowed brows. 

“What’s going on?”

Jake backed off then, rolling his eyes. “What are you, her guard dog?” 

Kristoff came closer. “You really want to rehash those past allegations, Warren? Is that  _ really _ what you want to do today?”

Anna could feel the tension between them, felt her entire body being squashed by it. She made a mental note to look up what happened with Warren later, but for now just sighed with relief when he scoffed and walked away. With a heavy breath, she turned and faced Kristoff, who was looking down at her with an expression she couldn’t read.

“What?”

He was silent, just rolled his neck and blinked down at her.

“ _ What _ ?” She was already angry, and he was just feeding into her frustration. Anna could  _ feel _ tension rising up between her shoulder blades.

His fingers rose to knead at the back of his neck before he sighed. “Please just remember that you’re a pretty girl surrounded by pretty disgusting men.”

_ Excuse me?! _

“I had that handled just  _ fine _ ,” she snorted, turning her head away from him as she bent back down to get her belongings. “I didn’t  _ need _ any help, okay?”

“I never said you did.” A shrug.

She froze, her fingers gripped around the strap of her bag, and kept her gaze locked on the far end of the hallway. She could hear his feet shuffling as he decided whether or not to leave, could hear as he started to turn, and finally swallowed her pride. She was trying to keep things civil with him, after all. A glance over her shoulder told her she had about half a second before he was gone.

“... Thank you.”

A small laugh left his mouth and he just stuck a hand in the air waving as he walked away. “Don’t sweat it.” 

Biting her lip, Anna realized that maybe she was starting to believe everyone who said he wasn’t so bad.

_ Damn it. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I don’t actually have that much in my outline of her interviewing him lol. I figure writing too many interviews would get boring? Especially bc he’s being lame about them now after the media day and having too much fun with her lmfao. I guess let me know if more interviews sound fun or if you just want to get on with it lol.
> 
> Also most likely from this point forward, each chapter will have some time gone by between it. You can just assume there was heavy sexual tension in all the missed moments. I can’t write these 200k fics with all the details like some others can lmao. I WISH.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short but important and to the point lol. Hope this kind of style of writing isn’t distracting. It’s definitely different but it felt right for this chapter? Idk whatever HERE IT IS.

Preseason had continued without a hitch. The Arendelle Ice Breakers were on  _ fire _ , were blowing every team out of the water, and were already a favorite for the cup. It was a hot streak that Kristoff was convinced would end soon, as the  _ real _ season had finally started and everyone else was beginning to take the games more seriously. But Kristoff was playing the best he ever had, and boy it felt so  _ fucking good _ .

After period two of the last preseason game, Anna had pulled him aside for an interview that got him  _ psyched _ . 

_ So _ , she had started, propping herself up on the boards, making it ridiculously difficult for Kristoff  _ not _ to be distracted by the perfect swell of her ass in those jeans.  _ You guys had a really tough break last season - I’m sure you’re all thinking about it as you move forward this year. _

His eyes had snapped up to hers, and he smirked.  _ Well, lucky for us we get to face the Stallions pretty early this season _ . He had been feeling good, why not play it up a little?  _ And since we’re so  _ hot  _ right now _ , Kristoff drank in her blush.  _ I think we’ll be able to show them what we’re really made of _ .

She had sent him off quickly after that, wiping at her cheeks before the camera panned back to her. He couldn’t stop grinning for the rest of the game, even when the opposing team scored their single goal on him.

Even if he knew it -  _ she _ \- was a distraction, Kristoff was thrilled by the way he could rile her up so easily. She didn’t have to know she could do the same to him just by pulling her plush bottom lip up between her teeth. 

Now, a few weeks later, here they were, four games in and already facing the Southern Isles Stallions. He was ready to wipe the floor with their captain’s cocky face.

The puck dropped.

A rivalry between the two teams was immediately obvious as the crowd roared in approval of the first nasty hit against the boards. There were penalties being called left and right, men tumbling to the ice, and Kristoff wasn’t sure how this was going to wind up. He did his best to keep up with the end of power plays, smacking his stick on the ice in notice, but with how frequently the puck was going back and forth, he had to stay on alert.

The first period buzzer rang, and Kristoff had never been more relieved to get off the ice. Neither team had scored yet, and they were already exhausted.

He watched Anna nod slowly to Sven, a frown on her face, and jumped when he heard the tell-tale scratch of skates turning to stop. 

“Heard she’s  _ your _ little plaything now.”

Kristoff’s head snapped away from Anna to see the sneering face of Hans Westergaard way too close to him. He only cocked a brow in question.

Hans smacked his glove against the back of Kristoff’s mask and slammed their helmets together. Kristoff moved to pull away until he heard Hans speak again. “She’s easy, huh?”

A shove against the shoulder was all it took for him to back off in the end, his hands raised in mock surrender. “Whoa, whoa,  _ down,  _ puppy.” His feet turned to skate away, a satisfied smile on his face. 

Kristoff felt his eyes narrow.

It wasn’t until Sven came up to tap him on the arm that he moved.

—

Kristoff fucking hated having to pee mid-game. It really was a pain to get out of the gear. But he stopped short when he heard a little sob around the corner. 

“I’m  _ sorry _ .”

Anna.

“Dear, it’s all right.”

Gerda.

He didn’t know how they didn’t hear him coming, but he froze in hopes that they’d be able to finish their conversation as privately as possible and then move on and let him get back to the locker room. 

“I don’t know why I’m crying.” Her voice was so little and Kristoff felt his heart clench.

“It’s okay, really, I’ll make sure his coach tells him not to bother you, okay?”

She let out a soft sound of approval, and then they were gone. 

Kristoff felt anger rising in his stomach.

—

Period two.

Defenseman Jacobs scores for the Ice Breakers. 

Left and right wingers Mueller and Federov score for the Stallions.

Hans lingers behind him before a puck drop, mumbling just loudly enough for him to hear. “Her  _ ass _ is the best part of her, right? Bend her over and you don’t have to see that wrecked face.”

Kristoff tries his best just to keep focused and not let another shot in.

He fails.

Westergaard scores with a wraparound. 

—

Coach is upset - rightfully so - as he sternly tells them they need to pull it together. They come up with a new plan of attack, and Kristoff doesn’t really listen. 

Until he says “One more goal, and you’re out for the night.”

Kristoff just nods. He gets it.

Sven tries to give them a pep talk, tries his best to rally the troops. 

“We’re only down by two. You know we work well under pressure. We’ve  _ got _ this. Communicate, stay open, and shoot some fucking pucks.”

Everyone else is amped up now.

—

Period three. 

Sven scores one, then another. He ties them up. 

Kristoff buckles down and becomes a brick wall. He’s not going to let some smarmy comments from the opposing team screw him up. He’s not. Especially when they’re not relevant. 

But Hans pokes again, and again, and again, and Kristoff can feel his anger boiling over in his throat, ready to explode.

“And, oh,  _ god _ , get her on her knees.”

Shut up.

“She’ll practically do  _ anything _ .”

_ Shut up _ .

“Slutty little thing practically  _ begged _ —“

That’s it.

Kristoff couldn’t fully remember how he got here.

All he knew was that he was out of the net, Hans was on the ice beneath him, and he was using his blocker to break his jaw. Sharp whistles cut through the ringing in his ears, the shouts of other players were muffled and far away, and his name was coming from  _ somewhere _ in the arena…

He tucked his glove into Hans’ jerseys, pulling his bloody face off the ice.

“Watch your  _ mouth _ , or next time I won’t hesitate.”

Kristoff felt hands grabbing at his shoulders, bodily removing him from the sobbing player beneath him. 

He let Mattias drag him down the runway, a short laugh of satisfaction pulling from his chest.

—

-

—

Anna had to take a deep breath. She knew this day was fast approaching, but wasn’t sure she was ready to fully face Hans again. It wasn’t like their…  _ thing _ … had even gone on for long - it was five dates and the worst sex of her life - but knowing that he had been spreading  _ lies _ about her? 

She didn’t know how to deal with that.

Truth be told, Anna didn’t want to deal with the fallout, so she had blocked him everywhere and expected that she wouldn’t be seeing him ever again. At the time, she didn’t know she’d be  _ working  _ on the ice for their  _ rival _ team… and she was living in LA, nowhere near his home, so the fact that they had even  _ managed _ five dates was impressive. 

It spanned a couple months, but she supposed she didn’t mind the pace so much. 

He had been so sweet, sending her flowers and chocolates when he couldn’t see her, and flew to LA on the long gaps between games  _ just _ to take her out. On paper, he was a natural Prince Charming.

Until he got her into bed, and hardly touched her, begged for her to suck his cock and then fucked her with his tiny dick just long enough to get himself off.

She had faked it.

Seemed easier, at the time.

But apparently  _ now _ he decided that she was an easy puck bunny, even though it took him two months of wining and dining her for her to even consider sleeping with him, and was telling the men on her current team that? 

God he was a mistake.

She went through the motions of the day, interviews, games, just having fun, until he approached her in the back of the arena, shoulders forward and threatening, touched her face and said  _ It’s a shame you’re so pathetic. Pretty, but pathetic  _ and she felt her entire face burn as tears pricked at her eyes. 

Anna wouldn’t let him see, though. He didn’t need to know that he upset her. 

Gerda pulled her aside, hugged her, didn’t ask for details, and then left. Hans simply glared at her from the other side of the benches after that. 

The rest of the game passed quickly, even if Anna felt like she was in a bit of a haze. They let another girl from the media team handle the fans, and asked Anna just to stay put on the ice. Her interviews were lackluster, she knew, but with the energy of the game, it wasn’t as noticeable as one would think.

_ Rough second period _ , she had said, frowning.  _ What do you think needs to happen from here on out to turn it around? _

_ We just gotta keep shootin’ pucks. _

She wasn’t even sure who she was talking to, if she was being honest.

_ Hope that some go in. _

She nodded and thanked them, and sent them on their way. 

The gap between the second and third was hard. Anna had felt her anxiety up in her throat, and she could feel Warren staring at her with his smug smile, as if he knew that Hans being here would mess her up.

She was starting to see how he and Hans were friends.

Kristoff had frightened him off, and she knew that Mattias and Sven had a conversation with him, even after she had asked them not to bother, and now he was constantly glaring at her, constantly pissed off with her, as if it were  _ her _ fault he was an assaulter. 

She had looked up his allegations. She was disgusted he was still playing in the league. 

Eventually the break ended, and they got back out for the final period.

Sven tied it up, because he was amazing at this sport and his wingers were solid beside him. 

She had been taking notes, focused on her notebook when cheers broke out through the arena and the piercing whistle of the refs struck through the buzz. Another fight, she thought, rather unremarkable for this game. 

_ Bjorgman! _

That got her attention. Goalies didn’t fight.

She looked up quickly, and her eyes widened at Hans whimpering below him as Kristoff’s blocker connected again and  _ again _ with his face.

Anna bit at her lip to stop a smile from pulling across her cheeks as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. 

She felt a different kind of heat pooling low in her stomach, then.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two in one day! So if you didn’t read the other chapter I posted today, make sure to read that one first :)

There was no wiping the blush off of Anna’s cheeks. She was trying not to focus on the pulsing between her legs and instead keep her mind on the game that carried on after Kristoff was dragged from the ice and Hans was carried out as well. Hans was screaming about how he wanted that asshole removed from the league, but Anna was more focused on Kristoff’s satisfied grin. 

Like he had been wanting to do that forever.

She quietly whimpered, bit her lip, and stood up to move further away from the rest of the team. All she wanted to do was go find him and… Express her gratitude. But for now she had to stay here, watch as Nieminen took over the net, and pray she could make it through the last ten minutes without going crazy. 

Hans deserved every second of that beat down, and Anna was almost disappointed that the team pulled Kristoff off of him.

Anna sat patiently and waited. 

In the end, the Ice Breakers did score another goal, securing the win against the Stallions. The fans had loved every second of this hard-fought game, but she could see the exhaustion behind the team’s celebration. She watched Sven come over, knowing he was the one she had to interview right now, and did her best to smile. 

“What a win, huh?” She asked as he skidded to a stop before pushing back his helmet. “You guys really pulled it together there.”

“Yeah,” he shook his head. “I think we’re all a little impressed that we managed to win. Nemo really held it together in net for those last quick shots, we wouldn’t have won it if he wasn’t so solid.”

Anna nodded and bit at her lip. “Any comment on Bjorgman?”

She could feel Sven’s frustration as he stared her down, obviously annoyed that she was asking. She considered him a friend… but she still had a job to do.

“Not really.”

Yeah, that’s about what she expected. 

“He’s a good guy, something bad must have been going on for him to snap like that.”

That’s a bit more.

“Hopefully the league sees it that way, too,” she agreed, shrugging her shoulders. She remembered worse fights, worse breaks, and knew none of those players got removed from the league. This wouldn’t break his career. Probably just a suspension and a fine, and then he’d be back in a few games.

Sven only nodded and then patted her head with his glove before saying goodbye and immediately going down the runway.

—

-

—

“What the  _ actual fuck,  _ Bjorgman!?”

Kristoff glanced up from where he was seated in medical to see his furious captain bursting through the door. “You can’t just beat the shit out of someone!” He was out of gear, and Kristoff knew that was the only thing that delayed this reaction.

He scoffed and turned his head back down. He tried to focus on the bite of his nails digging into his palm.

Apparently Sven didn’t like his lack of reply, because he came storming closer, and furrowed his brows, hesitating. “Any head injury?” He asked, waiting half a second for Kristoff to shake his head  _ no _ before he smacked him roughly upside the head. “You’re a moron.”

“He…” Kristoff released his fist and stared at the half moons indented in his skin. “He deserved it.”

“I _know_ that. Hell, even _he_ _knows that_.” Blowing out a sigh, Sven sat next to him. “What _happened_?”

Kristoff sat up straight enough to feel a satisfying pop in his spine before rolling his neck and looking over at his friend. “You know what happened with Warren?” Sven nodded, urging him to continue. “I guess  _ Hans _ is the one spreading all the stuff about Anna.” His eyes turned downward. 

He could hear and feel Sven sighing again, and heard the swish of his hair as he shook his head. “Ah, c’mon man…” 

“I know, I know. It was… it was just smack talk…” It wasn’t. It was personal and disgusting and  _ mean. _ “But I guess Warren told him… insinuated that she and I…” He pressed his hands together, cracking all the stiff joints. “The things he was saying… no one should talk about  _ anyone _ like that.”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and calmed down, just a little. 

“You’re going to have to talk to the board, you know that, right? Probably will be suspended.”

“Yep.”

A heavy silence. Neither wanted to mention the real possibility of Arne trading him now… Most owners didn’t like to put up with this kind of behavior.

“So…” Sven broke it. “You’re like… her knight in padded armor, now.”

Kristoff laughed, and leaned forward on his knees. “Shut up.”

“Bet seeing you wail on her ex got her all hot and bothered.”

He flushed, not ready to admit that even if Hans was more crude about it than he’d ever be, Kristoff now fell firmly into that group of  _ disgusting men _ . Because for the last hour, he couldn’t stop thinking about her legs hanging over his shoulders as he fucked her and told her how beautiful she was. 

She deserved to know how beautiful she was.

But she was still off-limits. He still would not  _ go _ there.

He hated himself a little bit, now.

_ Fuck _ .

—

The rest of the night and entirety of the next day was him being screamed at. By Coach. By the PR team. By his  _ mother _ . 

He didn’t want to explain anymore, so he took it, angry and frustrated, waiting for the league to decide his punishment and waiting to see if he was traded for his behavior. Kristoff stayed away from everyone, unless he needed to make an appearance, and hoped this would blow over relatively quickly. It wasn’t like he could claim innocence or anything, but he hoped the fact that he was defending someone was a good enough reason to keep him  _ in _ the league.

At three o’clock the next afternoon, he got a call from Gerda, asking him to come in so they could get a handle on the story. She was good at spinning bad situations into positive lights, and he was sure if anyone could make him look good on the other side, it was her.

He got to the arena as quickly as possible, headed up to her office, and sat quietly across from her and Honeymaren. 

“So…” 

So.

Gerda sighed and rubbed a hand against her forehead. “This… isn’t great, Kristoff.”

“I know.”

She leaned forward, just slightly, and tapped the legal pad that sat between them. “Can you write your statement? And let us know what happened?”

Nodding and grabbing the pen, Kristoff decided he’d speak first. He wanted a moment to decide what he’d write in the official report.

“Hans Westergaard was… out of line.” He tapped the pen against the notepad and frowned. “I guess… him and Anna dated, in the past?”

Gerda nodded, recalling a photo or two of them out in LA. For some reason, that made him more frustrated, knowing she had  _ actually _ been with Hans.

“I guess Warren and him are friends, and Hans convinced him to try and sleep with her.” His fingers clenched. Pressing against the table. “And when she didn’t want to go out with him… he got forceful, and I stepped in.”

Gerda sighed. “Yes, yes, I remember that situation.”

“So…” Kristoff was embarrassed, and started picking at the wood with his index finger. “I guess Warren thinks that she and I… are something.” He kept his gaze down at the wood, jumping slightly when Honeymaren tapped the table in front of him. “Hans was trying to get under my skin. Was saying some… gross things.”

Gerda was silent but Honey spoke up, tilting her head empathetically to the side. “I know it’s probably not something you’d like to repeat, but we need to know what kind of things he was saying.”

Dropping the pen on the table, Kristoff ran his hand across his mouth before glancing to the side, clenching his jaw. 

“Just… sexual things. Calling her a… slut. Easy…” He felt his skin crawling, and he itched at his forehead. “He was just being… explicit. About things.”

He wanted to vomit.

—

-

—

Anna turned the corner just in time to see Kristoff exiting the arena, and almost ran to catch him when another set of hands grabbed her shoulder. She turned quickly, about to glare at the offender, when she saw Honeymaren’s worried features. “Hey, what’s… What’s wrong?”

Honey said nothing but urged for Anna to follow her, pulling at the end of her braid. It wasn’t until they were in her office that she spoke. “So… good news and bad news?”

Anna mulled it over for a moment before sighing. “Good news?”

“He’s not being removed from the league. Just… a six game suspension and an eight thousand dollar fine… so… not terrible.”

She wasn’t sure why Honeymaren was telling her this, but she still felt relief. Until… “Bad news?”

Honey’s smile was soft and delicate, and Anna felt her stomach drop. “I guess Hans is… spreading some stuff about you.” Anna swallowed thickly and nodded for her to continue. “And… some players kind of think you and Bjorgman are sleeping together, now? I guess?” 

Her heart sped up, pounding loudly against her ribs.

“He said Hans was saying some… pretty disgusting things… About you.”

Was Kristoff… defending her?

“And he… punched him to shut him up.”

Oh.  _ Oh _ . 

Anna felt her brows raise as she bit at her lip. She pulled at the end of her hair, nerves growing. “Okay…”

“I just… thought you should know.”

She felt Honey squeeze her arm and she sighed, deflating slightly. “Yeah… Thanks.”

She  _ really _ needed to thank him.

—

“So how mad is he?”

Anna tried not to frown when Elsa sighed on the other end of the line. “Well,” she started, hesitating. “He’s certainly not  _ happy _ .”

Elsa had called her to find out what she knew, and Anna had divulged all the information she had been given. About how that asshole mouthed off. About how Kristoff was just _defending_ her. About how grateful she was that someone was willing to shut him up. Her sister had just sighed and said that, _yes, Anna, that was very chivalrous of him…_ _but…_

No buts!

“Do you think if he knew… knew that Kristoff was just sticking up for me… He’d be more okay with it?

Anna knew what Elsa’s silence meant and sighed at her unconvincing “maybe?” She knew he thought Anna was a screw up, an she knew he’d just blame her for this… but… “you know dad.”

They both let out a bitter laugh before Anna heard her father’s voice on the other side. 

_ Is that Anna? _

Elsa mumbled a quiet “here we go,” before handing the phone over to their father. 

“Anna,” he started, stern as ever. “I’ve heard the story he gave to the PR team. Do you know?”

She simply nodded before remembering he couldn’t see her and breathed out a sigh. “Yes, papa.”

A long silence. “Is it true?”

“Is what true?”

Anna could almost hear his frown. “That you had been sleeping with Westergaard.”

Oh you’ve  _ got _ to be kidding me. 

“Papa, I don’t really see how that’s relevant! Whether or not —“

“ _ Did _ you?”

She cracked her neck and frowned deeper. “Whether I did or did not… He should not be given the right to speak about me - or  _ anyone _ \- that way.” When he didn’t respond, she took it as a sign to continue. “And… Kristoff was  _ defending _ me, papa. Please, he was just being a  _ good person _ .”

He was so silent that she almost thought he had hung up, but then he said the last thing she wanted to be asked.

“Are you sleeping with the goalie?”

“ _ No. _ ”

Her father sighed, and Anna was about to give up hope before he mumbled something under his breath.

“What?” Both of Anna’s hands were gripping at her phone, now, hopeful. 

“I am… grateful that he did that for you. But… I cannot tolerate this kind of behavior.”

She felt like she might cry.

“He gets one more chance.”

And then her father hung up, quick and to the point, and Anna could feel her heart leaping into her throat. He… he  _ listened _ to her. He took her opinion into consideration and she could have started weeping right then. 

—

There was a late practice tonight that Anna chose to stick around for. She really  _ did  _ want to thank Kristoff, and she knew he wouldn’t risk skipping a practice in his current condition. The rumors of her father trading him had been put to rest, and she could see some of the tension draining from the entire team. But as she looked out onto the ice, there was no sign of him. 

“Anna?” She looked down to see Sven waving up at her, a grin on his face. 

“Hey!” Anna glanced around and then bit at her lip. “Is Kristoff not here?”

Sven frowned, pushed back on his helmet the pointed towards the door. “He just left - you can probably still —“

She bolted before he even finished his sentence, calling out a quick “thanks!”

Practically out of breath when she reached the door, she just looked at the security guard with a point of her finger. “Bjorgman?” 

“Just missed him.”

She sighed, pushed through the door and smiled wide when she saw his truck was still parked in the lot. She moved to make a run for it, hoping to catch him before he drove away. “Kristoff!”

“Yes?”

Anna jumped out of her skin, stumbling over her feet, and wound up down on the pavement, her bottom sore from the landing. “Owowow.”

“Shit, I’m…” he was holding back a laugh, pushing up from the wall and holding out a hand to help. “I’m sorry. I…”

Anna frowned but took his hand anyway, jumping up quickly to her feet as she did her best to ignore the gentle stroke of his thumb over the back of her hand. How was someone who could break someone’s  _ nose _ so gentle?

“Why’d you do it?”

Kristoff frowned and let go of her. “What?”

“Why did you punch Hans?”

He rolled his eyes and moved back to the wall he had been leaning on. “I’m sure you’ve heard.”

“Yeah.” She stepped a little closer to him, crossing her arms. “But I want you to tell me.”

His eyes narrowed, looking her up and down. “Why?”

Anna moved again, and she could see Kristoff swallow, watching the bob of his Adam’s apple carefully. “Because you broke his nose. And Because I just  _ do _ .” 

“You’re so fucking difficult.” Anna was almost offended before she saw the small smile pulling on his lips. “Look,” he started, shrugging. “No one deserves to be talked about like that. And I was aiming for his  _ jaw. _ ”

Anna took another step, could almost feel his breath on her skin she was so close. “ _ And _ ?”

“And?” His eyes dropped to her lips, and Anna felt her confidence grow. “And… he’s an asshole.” 

“Kristoff,” she hummed, her hand lifting to his bicep, fingers touching lightly against the material of his shirt. She could practically feel him shaking. “Do you… _care_ about me?”

He scoffed, but didn’t take his eyes off of her.

“No.”

“ _ Really _ ?”

“I…”

The door burst open, and Anna pulled as far away from him as she could, her heart hammering in her chest. Shit. Shit shit shit shit  _ shit _ . Sven and a couple of the other guys were laughing, hoisting bags up on their shoulders when they caught sight of the pair. 

“Yooo!” Sven laughed, raising his sticks in the air. “Glad you’re not gone yet! We’re going to get some beers to celebrate you  _ not  _ being traded!”

All of the color drained from Kristoff’s face, but a small smile tugged at his lips as he sighed with relief. “What?”

“Arne just called Mattias and told him to shut down anyone who was talking about trades! C’mon, we’re getting shitfaced!” Sven and the other guys started punching at one another, joy obvious in their celebrations. 

“I said I wasn’t ever going out with you again!” Kristoff called after them, laughing as he did. “But I’ll catch up in a bit!”

“Yes! That’s my boy!” Sven paused for a second to glance at Anna and grinned. “Well, we’ll leave you  _ lovers _ alone now!”

When the other guys expressed their confusion, Sven only laughed before waving goodbye and leading them all to their cars. 

Anna stood there, frozen, one hand grasping the opposite arm. What the fuck did she almost just  _ do _ ? Did she really… think that was a  _ smart _ decision? It wasn’t until Kristoff let out another relieved laugh, and fell back slightly against the wall that Anna snapped back to reality. 

“I… should go.”

His eyes met hers, and she tried to mask the disappointment she already felt seeping into them. He frowned, eyes dancing over her features, before he stepped forward again. “Did… you… ?”

Averting her gaze, Anna let out a small sigh. “I… just talked to him. He doesn’t normally listen to me though, so I’m just as surpr- _ oh _ —“

And then large arms were tucking under hers, pulling her forward into a hug that lifted her enough that only her tip-toes were still making contact with the pavement. His chin slotted into the crook of her neck, and Anna hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around his shoulders, too. This was… a really nice hug. 

“Thank you,” he breathed into her skin, and Anna felt herself melting into him. He was warm and strong and sturdy beneath her arms, and she felt herself nuzzle into his embrace just a  _ little bit _ .

But then he was letting go, and Anna felt a loss she couldn’t quite explain as he pulled back with a pat on her upper arm - the most chaste action he could have thought of. 

_ Ah. _

“For the record…” he started as he fully let go of her. “You’re frustrating…” she deflated. “But… Yeah, I guess I care about you.”

_ But not like that _ .

This would have to be good enough, she supposed.

“... Well…” 

She would maybe regret it later, but Anna sighed, reached forward to brace herself on his shoulder, and tugged him down far enough for her to place a quick kiss on his cheek. “I guess I care about you, too.”

His expression was blank, and she thought she overstepped, quickly making a move to leave.

“Thank you, again,” she mumbled, flushed red and acting like she wasn’t running away. 

Oh, she was so,  _ so _ screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehehehe.


	12. Chapter 12

Kristoff didn’t sleep last night. 

After Anna walked away, he stood there for a good fifteen minutes trying to compose himself enough to do anything but stare blankly ahead. She was going to kiss him, right? Before those morons came bursting through the door… She was  _ definitely _ going to kiss him. 

He ran his hands down his face as he leaned back in the seat of his car, unsure if he was ready to face the day.

Kristoff knew he would have caved. He knew that if she had kissed him, he would have grabbed her and tangled her hair between his fingers and relished the taste of her on his lips for as long as she would let him. And if she wanted more, he would have given her whatever she asked for, would have taken her home and shown her how she deserved to be pleasured. 

A loud groan tore from his throat and he threw his head back, banging it against the back of his seat. 

Too many feelings were swirling around in his head. Frustration at being suspended, but relief in his job being safe. Absolute elation at Anna showing that she had been feeling something similar for him as he was for her. Fear of what that meant for his future, and anger at Sven for ruining his chance to find out. 

But also gratefulness for Sven… ruining his chance to find out.

And… Kristoff wanted to know the truth about it, about Hans. If Anna had some past he should be wary of, or if he really  _ was _ just that much of an asshole. He knew it shouldn’t matter, knew that if he liked her, her past didn’t  _ matter _ … but it was niggling in his ear, the tiniest persistence of insecurity. 

Because he looked nothing like Hans. And what if  _ that _ was more her type? Not the too tall, too broad oaf of a man he thought he was? 

But it didn’t matter! He wasn’t risking his career. He barely knew her. He could avoid her. He could just do his little interviews and say hello and goodbye and be polite like they had agreed.

Except that she had tried to kiss him.

But he had had restraint! He had… patted her on the shoulder instead.

Because maybe she was just toying with him. Maybe she was just trying to get him riled up to see how far he’d go. Maybe she was playing some little game that he didn’t know he was a part of.

But he still hugged her.

But she still kissed him on the cheek.

But then she ran away.

But.

But.

_ But _ .

Kristoff stretched his arms out in front of him, anxiously trying to shake out his nerves. He could still feel the itch of where their bodies had touched when he hugged her - could still feel the light tickle of her hair against his ear, her nails scratching lightly on his back as they pulled apart, her breath on his neck… just the memory of it sent shivers down his spine. 

Why did she affect him like this? 

He just wanted to play hockey,  _ god damn it _ .

There was a knock at his window.

“Fuck!” 

Kristoff jumped and banged his head on the roof, cursing and rubbing at his skull.

And Anna was standing on the other side, an amused grin stretching her cheeks as she waved up at him. He rolled his eyes and turned his truck off before opening the door and hopping down. 

“Good morning!”

She sure was chipper. 

Kristoff reached into the bed of his truck to pull out all of his gear, his skin prickling as he felt eyes burning into his backside. He turned to look at her, then, a glare ready on his face, when she whipped her head around and honest-to-god started  _ whistling _ .

“What?” He snapped, annoyance rising in his voice.

She shrugged and took one step forward, quickly sliding out of his line of vision.

Sighing, Kristoff finished grabbing his stuff and slung the heavy back up and over his shoulders, holding on to his sticks in the opposite hand. When he stood back up, she was leaning against the truck, arms crossed as she stared out at the arena. Why was she waiting for him? 

“Are you ready yet?”

Kristoff blinked stupidly, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “For what?” 

Why was she even  _ here _ .

“Didn’t…” She stood up straight again, frowning at the dirt now on the back of her blue skirt and used her hand to brush it away. “Ah, sorry.”

Kristoff tried not to stare as she smacked at the swell of her bottom. 

He squeezed the strap of his bag tighter before taking a couple strides towards the arena, leaving her a few paces behind him. He needed to get away from her or he might do something stupid.

“Wait!” He could hear her little footsteps shuffle as she tried to catch up. “We’re going to the same place anyway.”

What was she talking about? “Again…. for  _ what _ ?”

“Oh!” Her cheeks flushed, then, as she dug out her phone. “Gerda said she was going to call you.”

His patience was wearing thin. “She did not.”

Anna hummed and pressed some buttons, clearly trying to pull something up. She groaned and dropped the phone to her side, shaking her head in annoyance. “Well,” she bit at her fucking lip again, and Kristoff swore he’d lose it. “I guess they came up with a plan? For… the whole punching Hans fiasco.”

Was she not at all bothered by the fact that they had almost  _ kissed  _ last night? Why was she being so…  _ cute _ . Was this just what she was actually like? Chatty and bouncy and adorable? Had he been so fucking  _ blind _ ? Or just so unwilling to  _ see _ her?

“Oh?”

She took a skip forward to land in front of him, walking backwards now, still rambling on. Her hair was in two plaits, and she had a soft white button down tucked into a floral skirt that flowed past her knees. Kristoff always felt a rush when she wore those tight dresses she seemed to be so fond of, but somehow this was  _ worse _ . She looked so innocent and sweet, and he  _ still _ couldn’t stop thinking about pressing her against a wall as he buried himself deep within her. 

He rolled his eyes to get them  _ off of her _ and tried to speed up past her. He wasn’t even sure what she was saying. The only thing he knew was that if he had to be alone with her anymore, he was going to  _ burst _ . 

“... in Gerda’s office.”

Wait, what?

“What about her office?” He paused, then, when she looked at him funny. “I’m sorry, I…”

Her face turned to concern as she took a step closer, and he felt his cheeks flush. “Are you okay?”

Pinching at the bridge of his nose, Kristoff sighed. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just…” _Just_ _fantasizing about fucking you. Just wondering if you actually wanted to kiss me. Just stressed out and anxious about everything_. “Tired.”

“Oh,” she hummed for a second and then perked up again. “I was going to get some coffee before the meeting. Want me to grab you something?”

“Meeting?”

“... Yes, with Gerda.”

Kristoff was sure he looked insane now. He was still trying to piece everything together when Anna sighed and then laughed and her fucking hand reached forward to squeeze at his upper arm reassuringly and he couldn’t hold it in anymore. 

“Why are you acting so…” he couldn’t find the word, and dug a hand into his hair as she looked on, startled. “So…  _ normal _ ?!”

“I’m sorry?” Her brows were up in surprise and worry as her hand slid down to his forearm. “How should I be acting?”

Oh god she fucking pissed him off. Was she really this dense? “I don’t  _ know _ . More… like…”  _ me. _ “Upset? Annoyed? Even remotely affected by the fact that you almost  _ kissed me _ ?” He practically hissed the last part at her, satisfied when she stepped back with a hand in front of her chest.

“I’m…” she looked everywhere but at him. “I’m trying not to think about it.”

Kristoff shrugged the bag up higher on his shoulder. “Why not? Were you just messing with me?”

“No.” She was stern on that. “You…” Kristoff stared on, leaning forward just slightly in anticipation. “You made it very clear you didn’t want anything like that to happen so…” He found he was surprised that Anna almost sounded… disappointed. “I’m not thinking about it.”

Did  _ she _ want something to happen?

“Wait —“

“We have to,” she hesitated for a moment, turning back and forth and pointing over her shoulder. “Go to Gerda’s office. She said it’s important.”

“Anna —“

“So… let’s go there.”

She didn’t give him a chance to say anything, just started walking. Kristoff swallowed, tense, but followed.

Even if he had no idea why the fuck he was going to Gerda’s office.  _ Again _ .

—

_ Forbidden Romance on the Ice? Breaking the Rules? Get a First Look at Hockey’s Newest Couple. _

Kristoff was speechless as he stared down at the tabloid in front of him. In full color, there were four photos printed next to a long-winded article about how scandalous it was for an NHL player to be dating a member of the owner’s family. One of their quick hug. One of her kissing him on the cheek. Next to it, one of him staring fucking stupidly after her. 

And last, emphasized as the most important by the author, was a photo of their almost-kiss, clear enough that you could see pure lust in his eyes as she leaned up towards him, his fists clenched at his sides. 

“So,” Gerda started, her arms crossed over her chest as he and Anna both seemed to be taking a long moment to process it. “What’s… going on here?”

Silence from both of them left Gerda rolling her eyes. 

“Is this,” she gestured between the two of them. “Something I need to know about?”

“No.” Anna’s voice was firm, but he glanced over just in time to see her frown into her lap. “I… it’s just a misunderstanding.” Why did she have to look so  _ hurt _ ?

Gerda sighed before sitting down in the chair across from them. “I…” she pressed a frustrated hand to her forehead. “Bjorgman, you’re causing me a lot of extra work here, lately.” 

She laughed lightly, but Kristoff knew she wasn’t kidding. “I’m sorry.”

“I guess —“

The door burst open and all three of them jumped as a brightly smiling Honeymaren came through the opening, holding up her phone. 

“They  _ love _ it.”

Anna looked to him once, her brows drawn together before turning her attention back up to Honey. “Love what?”

Honey moved swiftly, squatting down beside Gerda to show her whatever was displayed on her phone. As Gerda scrolled, her smile grew wider. “Oh, this is great. This… Do you think?”

Kristoff was about to lose it. He was tired of not knowing what the hell was going on today. “ _ What _ is great?!”

All three women looked at him. He sighed. 

“Well,” Honey started, standing up again. “This tabloid thinks you two,” she pointed, “are dating. And you punched Hans’ lights out.” 

Yes, he was stupid this week, could she tell him something he didn’t know? 

“And the media knows… that Anna used to date Hans.”

Anna scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, looking back to the door with frustration clearly tensing her entire body. 

“So now… fans think that  _ you _ ,” she pointed at Kristoff, “were just defending  _ her _ ,” she pointed towards Anna, “your  _ girlfriend _ … from her  _ slimy ex-boyfriend  _ who is just  _ mad _ that she moved on.” Kristoff blinked up at her, still unsure of what this all meant. “They’re all saying how sweet and amazing and  _ sexy _ it is that you’d risk your career for your  _ girl. _ ”

He felt his whole face redden. She wasn’t  _ his girl _ . She wasn’t his… anything. But he couldn’t help but look over at her and try to gauge how she was reacting to all of this. Her hands were bunched in her skirt, knuckles almost white, lip caught aggressively between her teeth as she kept her eyes locked onto her knees. 

“So…” Honey tried to get both of their attention. “I think this is a media gold-mine. It’ll solve both problems at once!”

His attention was back on her. “ _ What _ will solve the problems?”

“You two,” she grinned. “Pretending to date.”

_ What!? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... the fun begins :^)
> 
> Or just... continues. Haha.


	13. Chapter 13

Anna was pacing up and down the hallway, biting at her thumbnail and practically burning a hole through her shoes. What were they thinking, suggesting that she and Kristoff pretend to date? That wasn’t something people really _did_ , was it? And he could barely stand to be around her for more than a quick interview, how did they think this would _work_ without him wanting to kill her or himself every day? Plus, how would her father react? Would he think Kristoff was just dating her to secure a spot with the team? Would he be mad that it now seemed like she was lying? Or would they be able to tell him it was fake?

She heard the office door open slowly, and paused her pacing to look up at Kristoff, who was hesitantly peeking his head out of the doorway. “You okay?”

Anna practically laughed as she released a sigh, dropping her hands to her sides. “No… Yes? I … I don’t know.”

He stepped out fully and made a move to close the distance between them, stopping a respectable ways away before he rubbed at the back of his neck. “Look, um…” He swallowed and turned his gaze anywhere but at her. “It would be really good… for me? But… In the end, it’s your call.” 

Lifting her thumb back up to her teeth, Anna bit down at the skin beside the nail. “I just…” Her words were muffled and she watched him carefully as he took another small step forward, as if he was trying not to spook her. “It’s not fair.” His eyebrow raised in question and she sighed again. “I didn’t _do_ anything wrong. All I did… was date a scummy guy _three years ago_. So why am I stuck in the middle of this?”

Kristoff shook his head quickly and moved forward again, his hands grabbing at her upper arms. They were warm and comforting and Anna felt a bit of the tension start to drain from her shoulders. “You _did not_ do anything wrong. This is…” His thumbs rubbed up and down just once, and Anna felt her throat tighten. “This is on me. It’s my fault. I got carried away.”

Her gaze rose to meet his and she could see the guilt deep in his eyes. His thumbs moved again and Anna felt a tingle run down the back of her neck. He was being too nice, and Anna couldn’t take it.

“So what do you want me to do?”

Kristoff swallowed and dropped his head lower, closer, so she could hear his quiet words. “I don’t _want_ you to do anything. This is _your_ decision.” He gave her a small smile. “It would be beneficial for me, but that does _not_ matter if you’re not comfortable with it.”

When she just continued to stare at him, his cheeks flushed. 

“And it’s all fake, right? So even if we do it, you don’t have to do anything but sometimes come to events with me. Have your picture taken with me. Maybe accept a free fancy dinner once in a while.”

She laughed a little at that.

“And…. it would probably only have to be until the end of the season, right? So… That’s only a few more months.”

She frowned again, her shoulders rising as she bit her lip. “Why are you being so nice?”

Kristoff’s hands lowered to rest on her elbows, and Anna reached up to grab the back of his arms. “Because you’re obviously upset.” His stare was too intense for her, and she had to look away. “And I want you to know that I will _not_ be upset no matter what you decide to do.”

Her voice was meek. “But you can’t stand me.” 

“What?” He squeezed gently. “Didn’t I just tell you last night that I care about you?”

“You…” She bit her lip and stared down at her toes. “You said you _guessed_ you cared about me. And that I was frustrating.”

“You _are_ frustrating. Sometimes. But,” he shook her arm gently and she looked up at him. “It’s a _fun_ kind of frustrating.”

Anna let out a little laugh and nodded, agreeing. Even if it was hostile sometimes, she couldn’t deny that there was definitely some enjoyment for both of them in their bickering. 

But there was one more thing she had to know, and she felt like now was the best time to ask.

“If…” He tilted his head to the side, as if trying to show her he was listening. “I need to know the truth about something, before I say yes… okay?”

Kristoff nodded, his fucking thumbs rubbing at her arms again. 

“If I _had_ kissed you last night… What would you have done?”

She watched the color leave his face as he clenched his jaw, felt the slight tightening of his fingers on her arms, and immediately regretted asking. He would have shoved her off of him, would have laughed in her face, would have made fun of her, right? Why didn’t the fact that he _didn’t_ want her make her feel better about this?

She should be _grateful_ that he didn’t want anything to do with her. That would make this easier, right? The second he told her that she was not his type, that he would rather kiss Sven, that he found her completely repulsive… she could agree to this. Because then there wouldn’t be anything to worry about. 

But she wanted _him_ , in the most animalistic of ways, and maybe that would be an unfair dynamic. 

They spoke at the same time.

“Nevermind, I don’t —“

“I think—“

She swallowed, shifting backwards to let go of him and make sure he let go of her. “Go ahead.” Anna should have known this would be what happened.

“I really love my job.” He blew out a heavy breath and sighed. “And… I would give anything to keep it. And that means _not_ doing shit that could… take it away from me.”

What on earth did this have to do with whether or not he would have kissed her? Was the answer just so mean that he was avoiding telling her? Anna crossed her arms and frowned, trying to ignore how cute he looked when he pressed his lips together and shrugged. 

“But, Anna… You’re…” His cheeks were turning pink again, and he ran a nervous hand through his hair. “You’re really, _really_ hot. Like… It’s unfair that I have to look at you every day. Sometimes I feel like I’m being punished.”

Her eyes widened. 

“I’m…” He laughed out a breath and ran a hand down his face. “If you want honesty, I would have taken you back to my place and done whatever you’d let me do. But…”

Her throat was so tight she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“But I —“ he stuttered, rolled his shoulders and laughed again, more awkward this time. “I’m not… I don’t _want_ to be like all these other guys in sports, okay? Who think they can take whatever they want from women… So when I was given the chance to shut it down… I had to.” 

He wanted her like she wanted him?

“Because I don’t think you like me like that. I think you were just… maybe… I don’t know. In the moment?” He shook out his hands and took in a large breath. “Besides I’m… heavily focused on my career and I _don’t_ date and I know it’s … like, _just_ wanting to have sex, so…”

Right, yeah, just sex. He didn’t like _her_ . And he was probably right that she didn’t really like _him_ , either… Just… 

Kristoff stammered for a moment before his hands rose up in front of his chest. “Not that — not that I expect or _want_ or…” he groaned, running fingers through his hair again. “Just know that if we _do_ do this I won’t be expecting anything or… yeah.”

He was quiet, waiting for her reply. But she needed a minute. 

“Can I…” she gestured vaguely up and down the hall. “Can I think for a second?”

Stepping back, Kristoff nodded, heading for the office door. “Yeah, uh, I’ll… be in there.”

“Okay.”

“Right.”

Anna twisted her hands together, bit at her lip, and let out a heavy sigh as the door shut. Would this make things more complicated? Knowing that he wanted her, too, at least in some capacity? He had been honest, and was clearly making some sort of effort not to completely objectify her… 

But what if she caved? What if she wanted him so badly that she couldn’t stop herself?

What if _he_ did?

Would they be able to _shut it down_ again?

She stepped forward, just a few paces, before stopping at a wall and pressing her forehead against the cool cement. 

There was always a strong possibility that knowing about and _acknowledging_ the attraction could help them be professional about it. Maybe it would even make the lie more convincing. There really was no downside for Anna, and it _would_ help Kristoff’s reputation, in the long run, if he was fiercely protective over his girlfriend, and _not_ just punching Hans for no good reason…

And the whole thing would be a pain for Gerda to explain away.

Hell, it could even help _her_ get ahead a little bit. Maybe if she agreed to do this, she could convince Gerda to give her some editorial pieces or some more serious interviews. 

Maybe she could even really get to _know_ Kristoff, if he’d let her. Maybe they could…

Be friends, in the end.

She sighed and stood upright, heading for the door before she could change her mind.

“Okay,” she stated firmly as she pushed open the door. 

Three pairs of hopeful eyes turned on her, and she nodded. “I’m in.”

—

Anna fell backwards onto her couch and let out a long built up sigh. They had spent the rest of the morning plotting out some key events and dates that the two should plan for, and Kristoff had even convinced her to let him take her out to dinner tomorrow so they could figure out some boundaries for themselves.

Gerda had said she would take care of _anonymously_ alerting the tabloids, and it would all go smoothly from there. After that, she had suggested that they’d have to have a _private moment_ caught on camera before a game, a kiss or something similar to make people _really_ believe it. And then she was to attend the rest of the Ice Breakers team events. 

There was even a suggestion that Anna start looking at the instagrams of some other hockey WAGS - Wives and Girlfriends - and try to replicate some of the energy that they expressed. There had to be, at the very least, a photo of them together, even if he was partially unrecognizable. 

And she had to go through and delete all of the photos with other men. 

(That, she was happy to do.)

Honeymaren said she had a great idea for the photo, and quickly ran to get it set up. Anna wouldn’t _have_ to post it for a couple days, but the sooner, the better. Honey had figured it would just be easier if she had it ready to go. 

So, she grabbed Anna a Bjorgman jersey, dragged them both up into the stands, and had her stand in the aisle of the empty arena, with Kristoff a couple steps below her. 

_Wrap your hands around her waist - yep - okay… now put your foreheads together_. They were both blushing, now. But she supposed they needed to get over the embarrassment if they wanted this to work. 

_Anna… put your arms on his shoulders_. 

The action made her rise to her toes, his fingers tightening on her hips. 

Honey was adjusting them, pushing all of Anna’s hair up and onto her chest to make sure his name and number on her jersey was clearly visible, moving his hands just so, ignoring Anna’s blush when one of them wound up _definitely_ on her ass. But thankfully Kristoff objected, lifted it and let it fall more naturally at her waistline before insisting that the more Honey messed with them, the more fake it would seem. 

She sighed and agreed, letting him and Anna find something that was more comfortable. 

He twisted her just a little, grabbing her hand and laying it flat on his chest before pulling her in by the waist, popping her foot off the ground just slightly. 

_Number still visible?_ He asked, and when Honey nodded, he wrapped his fingers around her hand on his chest, pressed his forehead to hers, and smiled.

 _You sure about this_? He whispered, clear concern in his features. 

She simply nodded, not trusting her words, and let Honey snap a few photos before pulling away from him, her entire face bright and hot. 

The photos were great, though. Her head blocked out most of his face , but there was still enough of his hair, his hands, small things that dedicated fans would be able to point out was him. And after only a moment of deliberation, Anna went ahead and posted it, the caption simply reading: 

_My favorite place to be._


	14. Chapter 14

God damn it,  _ what  _ was that annoying ringing and  _ why wouldn’t it stop?! _

Anna blindly slapped at her bed, groaning loudly when her fingers grazed over the offending, vibrating device. She could tell by the sun peeking through the one window in her room that it was barely morning, and was immediately annoyed that anyone would call her this early on her  _ day off _ . Glaring at the screen as she rolled over, she tried to make out the name blurred from her still focusing eyes before quickly giving up and just answering. “Hello?”

“You  _ are _ dating him?”

“Elsa?”

“Anna,” her voice was low and hushed, as if she was trying to prevent anyone from overhearing. “You said you  _ weren’t _ sleeping with him.”

“M’not,” she grumbled, sitting up against the pillows as she started to wake up. 

“ _ My favorite place to be _ ? With his hands … It sure  _ seems _ like you are.” Anna could practically see the panic in her sister’s eyes and the wringing of her hands together as she paced the floor. 

She sighed and rubbed a knuckle against her eye, trying her best to form a coherent sentence. “Els.” A yawn. “S’not what y’think.” Anna paused for a moment. She didn’t know if she was allowed to disclose the truth to anyone. But… it was Elsa. She wouldn’t say anything, right? “It’s…” she bit her lip when she heard her sister practically whining into the phone. “It’s just for PR.”

“ _ What _ ?”

Rubbing a hand across her face, Anna blew out a breath. “I mean like, don’t tell anyone…” Elsa hummed at her, frustration evident. “We’re pretending. For his… y’know. To help with the Hans thing.”

She heard some shuffling in the background and could only assume that Elsa was trying to find a place to sit. They both stayed silent for a moment, hoping the other one would talk first. 

Anna sighed. “It’s a good idea, and we’ve got it all sorted. Just…” her fingers rose to her mouth, biting at a nail. “I don’t know if I should tell our father the truth or not.” She almost relaxed when she heard her sister sigh, too, as if she was taking some of the weight of it all away from Anna.

“I’ll talk to him. He’s not going to be happy.”

“I mean,” she bolted up, leaning forward in bed. “Should I tell him the  _ truth _ or like… just tell him I was so moved by his defending me that… now we  _ are _ dating…. or… like, just tell him that this is the best way to clear up the reputation of his player? Or try to convince him I’m really happy or…”

“Stop, Anna,” but it wasn’t mean or frustrated, as she laughed as well. “You’ve got enough going on there. I’ll… call Gerda and then talk to him, okay?”

Anna had never been more grateful for her sister. “Thank you,” she sighed, flopping backwards against her pillows.

“So…” She heard some mischief lacing her sisters’ words. “Do you  _ want _ to sleep with him?”

Her cheeks flushed and she let out the most unconvincing “Uh… sh-yeah right, you’re crazy!” before deciding to try and turn the conversation onto Elsa. “But there is this girl who works here… Seems  _ your _ type —“

“Goodbye, Anna!” 

She hung up with a laugh, knowing any talk of any sort of dating made Elsa run away, embarrassed. It was then that she was able to look at her phone properly, the overwhelming notifications smacking her in the face. A voicemail from Honey, simply a  _ Nice job, good caption, they’re eating it up,  _ about a thousand instagram likes, and a couple hundred comments and new followers.

And one text from Sven, that only said  _ WHAT?! _

—

-

—

Kristoff was already embarrassed before he walked into the rink. Aware of how quickly word traveled around here, the entire team was bound to already know that he and Anna were now  _ dating _ . 

His suspicions were quickly confirmed when Sven  _ tackled him  _ and threw him to the ground, shoving his phone in his face. “What the _ fuck?! _ What the  _ actual fuck _ !!!!” Kristoff groaned as he looked up, her instagram feed too close for him to really make out much detail. “Who allowed this? Did you guys fuck?! Did you take her to the back of your truck and —“

“Stop it, Jesus Christ,” Kristoff shouldered his captain onto the floor and moved to stand up. “I punched one asshole, I’ll punch another.” 

Sven flipped onto his back with a laugh and opened the picture again. “Dude. Look at her face. She’s obsessed with you.”

Dating. They were dating. He wasn’t even sure he could tell  _ Sven _ the truth, so he put on his best act and shrugged. “I’m…  _ obsessed _ ,” ew, “with her, too. She’s…” Amazing. “Really, really great.” At least that wasn’t a total lie. 

“I knew it,” he laughed, scurrying up to his feet. “Didn’t I tell you? You guys were going to get together.” He clenched his hands by his stomach and shouted. “I felt it in my gut!!! Dude!!!”

“You said we were going to  _ fuck _ .” He felt gross just saying it. He wasn’t going to be crass about any of this. He wasn’t. 

“Same difference.”

“No.” Kristoff really didn’t want to be an asshole, but he needed to set a boundary here. “Look… I don’t want you talking about her like that. Not anymore. She’s…” was saying she was  _ his _ too much, or a line he shouldn’t cross? “We’re  _ dating _ . Not fucking.”

Sven immediately got serious. “Yeah, man. I got it.” But his smile came back quickly. “I’m really happy for you, man.” His palm smacked against Kristoff’s cheek, and he really thought he had to convince Sven to stop doing this. “‘Bout time you stopped being so serious about your  _ already successful career _ and started letting yourself live a little.”

Kristoff felt like he had been punched in the stomach.

He’s never lied to Sven before.

—

Hours of practice, a long,  _ long _ shower, and one phone call to confirm her address later, Kristoff’s truck was parked outside of Anna’s building. He shot her a quick text to alert her that he was there, but after five minutes of no response, he sighed and got out of his truck, resigned to doing this the old-fashioned way. Pausing for a moment to check the passenger seat of his truck, Kristoff shook out his worry and started climbing the steps to her third-floor apartment. After confirming the number, he knocked on the door.

He heard a crash and a curse come from behind it and couldn’t help but laugh. But when the door swung open and he got a good look at her, her soft pink bra out and visible as she was still sliding one arm through her dress, Kristoff felt his whole body tense. 

“Can I help —“ she finally looked up at him, hair pins cleaned between her teeth, clearly annoyed that someone was interrupting her. “Oh. You’re early.”

Kristoff swallowed the thick lump in his throat as she reached up to put a pin in her hair. “Do you always answer the door half naked?”

Anna simply shrugged. “Maybe one day a man will see my bra and decide to date me.” She turned, ignoring his reaction, and gestured at the back of her dress. “Can you zip me up?”

Letting out an awkward laugh, Kristoff reached forward to grab at the small zipper of her dress, tugging it gently until it started to move. “Careful. I think  _ that _ bra is marriage material.” He tried his best to ignore how her back curved, how soft and pale her skin was beneath the smooth rose velvet of her dress, and he  _ definitely _ wasn’t thinking about kissing every freckle on her small shoulders, the ones exposed by the sleeves that only rose to the middle of her upper arms. 

She turned quickly, ripping his fingers away from her zipper, and let out a laugh as she tugged at the neckline of her dress. Pulling it away and peering down with an inquisitive smile on her lips, Anna shrugged. “And this isn’t even my nicest one.” Dropping her dress back down, she continued “If you think  _ this _ is wedding material…” She hummed and ticked a finger up under his chin. “Then you’ve got something to look forward to,  _ honey _ .”

Kristoff stared after her as she disappeared back into the apartment, his mouth dry. He stood in the doorway, feet stuck to the ground, until she peered back around the corner. “You can come in, you know.” 

He stepped forward, flushed, and shut the door behind him. 

“Do you want anything?” Her voice echoed a little, and he could guess that she was in the bathroom. “I’m almost ready but, um… There’s… water or wine!”

He frowned, staying perfectly still in the middle of her living room. “I’m okay.” 

Kristoff wasn’t sure what he imagined for Anna’s home, but it really wasn’t this. Small and boxy, nothing on the walls, just a small loveseat, a bookshelf, and a little television hung across the way. His eyes took a risky glance down the hall into the open door, smiling when he could see some clothes strewn about. Had she actually… worried about how she looked tonight?

Taking a second to look at himself, Kristoff sighed. He was used to wearing suits, but he didn’t feel like this was a suit-worthy moment, so he had dressed in a nice pair of dark jeans and a button down, with a tie thrown in the back of his truck just in case. He was almost worried he’d look stupid next to her in that pretty, flowy dress.

When she emerged, her hair twisted up into some sort of intricate low bun, he  _ really _ felt like he should have dressed up nicer. Until she started crudely adjusting the top half of her dress as if to make her chest look even  _ more _ delectable. Then Kristoff felt his throat tighten. He may not have been a religious man, but at that moment he  _ knew _ there was definitely some asshole sitting up there, testing him. 

He snapped out of it when she pushed her chest up again and frowned, mumbling something about definitely coming home with a bra full of crumbs.

“You always this lady-like?”

Anna’s head popped up with a grin on her lips. “Only for you, babe.” She was going to kill him one of these days.

“So many pet names,” he laughed, trying to hide how much they got to him. How much they made him want to put his mouth on her, made him want to pull those names from her lips as he bit his way down her exposed throat to the swell of her breast. 

She seemed to falter for a moment, a frown peeking out. “Is… that okay? I’m sorry… I… Was just teasing and,” her hands were twisting together in front of her hips. “If I’m going too far just let me know? I tend to… make jokes when I’m… I’m awkward.”

Oh no, no,  _ no _ . He didn’t want to do  _ that _ .

“They’re… they’re fine!” He started, his voice cracking slightly. “I just… wasn’t expecting it?”

It was small, but a smile returned to her lips. Thank god. 

“You look… um… nice dress.”

Anna twisted her hips a little to make the skirt flare out as she grinned. It was almost too cute for him to handle. “I think I might’ve overdressed. But I like it.”

“Yeah it’s… it’s good.” He coughed when she stepped closer, and gestured at himself. “I have… a tie. Uh, in the truck. If you think…” 

He watched as she grabbed her purse and smiled, hooking it over her elbow before she moved towards the door. “You look perfect, Kristoff.”

That was good enough for him.

Anna looked towards the door with a small tilt of her head, asking him silently if they should go, and he cleared his throat before nodding, heading out of the apartment and down to his truck. Kristoff felt his nerves running wild, higher than they had ever been for a  _ real _ first date, and he wasn’t sure exactly what to make of it. He quickly got ahead of her to open the passenger side door, smiling when she moved to get into the truck. 

But she paused, and he remembered the stupid thing he had done.

She reached in quickly, snatching up the bouquet he had gotten her.

“You got me flowers?”

Kristoff stammered, blush high on his cheeks. “Well… I mean… It’s a date, right? That’s… what you do?”

Her small fingers brushed delicately over the petals, flattening out a few that had been crushed from laying on their side on his seat. “Daisies?”

“Well I thought roses were too, you know…” he flopped his hands back and forth. “And when the florist asked what they were for, I said a first date… and she suggested these? I guess… they’re… good for… that kind of thing.”

God why couldn’t he shut up? 

The soft, genuine smile on her lips was worth it, though. 

She climbed into the cab, eyes locked on the flowers as he shut the door and moved to the other side, hopping up and in with ease. He started the engine, pulled at his collar and sighed. “So… I guess Gerda already alerted the tabloids, so they’ll probably be at the restaurant when we get there.”

If he didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn her smile fell, just a little. 

“Okay,” she set the flowers into her lap, her eyes moving to meet his. “Ready?”

He supposed he had to be.


	15. Chapter 15

Kristoff was right. The second he parked she saw three men with cameras that were way too large to be a coincidence stand up and snap a photo of the car. Anna bit at her lip and tugged on the hem of her dress. She had her picture taken before - that’s what happens when you dated guys who were somewhat in the public eye - but this was  _ lying  _ and she  _ sucked _ at lying. 

Kristoff’s hand gently resting on top of hers was the thing that calmed her down, in the end. “Once we get inside they can’t bug us. It’ll be fine. They’re just going to take a few photos while we walk in.”

She nodded and sat up straighter, an idea popping into her head. Why not give them something worth photographing? “Get your tie.” He didn’t question her, just slipped it on over his head and tightened it, leaving it a little crooked when she asked for him to. “Okay, now we’re ready.” 

His cocked eyebrow made her laugh, but he soon hopped out of the cab and went around her side to help her down, as if remembering her struggle to get  _ in _ to his slightly raised truck. Anna grabbed his hand grateful for the leverage, but felt his fingers tighten around hers when she went to remove it. Oh, right. Anna smiled, and threaded her fingers through his before giving him a gentle tug, laughing lightly as he stumbled for a moment behind her.

Then it was time for her idea. 

As soon as they reached the front of the restaurant, Anna slowed to a stop and turned to face him, letting go of his fingers. “Hang on,” she mumbled, holding her hands up between them. “Let me fix your tie.”

He smiled as if he finally understood. 

Anna reached up, her fingers sliding along the silk, and tugged gently to straighten the slightly undone tie, tightening it just a little and making it look just right. “There you go,” she grinned, running her palms down the front of his chest. “Perfect.”

It almost felt real, how he smiled down at her and grabbed her hands in his, squeezing them just enough to be noticeable. 

It made it sting that much more when he whispered about how convincing she was.

Yeah.

She was convincing all right.

—

The date was perfectly nice. They had wine (she had more), he had a steak and she had a pasta dish (she figured she wasn’t on an actual date, so why not enjoy a full meal?), and he held her hand across the table as they chatted. The first half had been about their boundaries and lines. 

Hand holding was great. Hugging and casual contact, like an arm draped over her shoulders, was absolutely fine. Anna said she was all right with kisses not on the mouth, and he agreed that was probably for the best. After they came to a final agreement, he lifted their joined hands and pressed a gentle one against her knuckles and gave her a small side smile. His lips were really soft, and Anna couldn’t hold back a smile of her own.

They had a few fans approach them throughout the night asking Kristoff for an autograph. He signed them, then would quickly and politely ask the fans to leave, saying that his attention was reserved for his beautiful date right now but that he was thankful for the support. Anna couldn’t help but blush every time.

He was really good at this whole pretending thing. 

The rest of the time was spent just chatting about almost everything. Kristoff told her he was born in Norway, but moved to the states when he was pretty young because he was adopted. Anna was shocked as she leaned over the table, excitedly yelling,  _ me, too! _ before bashfully falling backwards in her seat _. I mean, not the adopted thing. _

He had two sisters and a brother, all older. She told him about Elsa. 

He didn’t finish college because he was drafted into the NHL. She finished her Associates in graphic design, but she didn’t do much with it now. 

_ You should! _ He had said, support pouring out of him.  _ See if Gerda needs anything done for any events this year! _

She was almost embarrassed by the encouragement.

The more they talked, the more Anna was convinced that this - the easy conversation and the enjoyment of one another’s company - wasn’t totally fake. She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but it seemed like their interactions had surpassed forced civility into some kind of actual friendship. She really,  _ really _ liked that.

Anna knew that she should have stopped at glass number two, but they just kept talking and she just kept sipping and now her head was fuzzy and she wasn’t sure how late it was or how many drinks she had, but Kristoff’s hand in hers was steadying. “Kristoff,” she mumbled, her words sounding far away. 

He blinked up at her, amusement pulling on his features as she let her head loll slightly to the side. “I think…” She inched her hand up his wrist, pulling gently at the rolled up fabric of his sleeve. “This is the best thing I’ve ever done. Dating _ you _ .” His skin was really smooth and she just wanted to  _ know  _ what the bulk of his arm felt like under her fingers, so she stuck just the tips of them under the cuff of his shirt to touch the swell of his forearm, giggling as she did so. 

Kristoff circled gentle fingers around her wrist and she looked up at him, her whole face dropping. “No?” But then her eyes dropped to his hand gripping hers and felt her whole body heat. “How are you so  _ big _ ? How is that  _ fair _ .”

“Okay,” he laughed, moving to stand. “I think maybe we should take you home now.”

Pouting just a little, Anna followed his lead, immediately losing her balance as she stood. But then strong arms were around her waist and holding her elbow and the smell of his cologne overwhelmed her. How hadn’t she noticed his cologne before? It smelled so earthy and warm and Anna knew if she was given the chance she would bundle herself up in the scent of him. “I’m sorry,” because she was. “I think I had too much wine,” because she did.

“Don’t be sorry,” he smiled, dropping cash on the table and grabbing her purse with his free hand. “It was good wine. It was also strong.” 

His hand on her waist kept her steady as they walked, and Anna could already feel a bit more sense in her head as they hit the cool autumn air outside the restaurant. He helped her back up into the truck, Anna moving the flowers back into her lap as she got situated, and quickly started the drive back to her apartment. She focused on the petals, stroking each one with enough care to not rip it off, smiling as she noticed Kristoff tapping a little rhythm against his steering wheel. 

It took some extra time to get back to her building - something about wanting to take some extra turns in case any of the tabloid photographers decided to follow - and Kristoff, ever the perfect date, hopped out of his car and around to her side again, helping her down. It really had been enough time for her to sober up a little, and Anna didn’t want to inconvenience him anymore. “I think I’m good, now,” Anna mumbled, reaching into her purse with one hand to try and find her keys. “You… don’t have to walk me up.”

He almost laughed. “Nonsense. What man doesn’t walk his  _ girlfriend _ back up to her apartment after a date?” Of course he would insist, but she wasn’t about to complain. 

Gesturing up towards the stairs, Anna gave him a small smile before walking slowly, placing one foot in front of the other with intent as she slowed the walk as much as possible. “I had fun,” she blurted out, eyes trained on the ground. “You’re…” she bit her lip as she looked up at him, his expression questioning. “... Better company than I was expecting.” 

He clutched at his heart, leaning backwards as if he had been shot, a small  _ oof _ leaving his lips. “With compliments like that, it’s no wonder I  _ had _ to have you.”

Anna swatted at him, then, a smile teasing her lips. “You know what I mean.” 

Nodding as they ascended the stairs, Kristoff let out a laugh. “Yeah, I do.” When they got to her door, he rubbed at the back of his head, an action that Anna was becoming fondly familiar with. “I… also had fun.”

She took a step forward, her hands raising to his tie again, loosening it just slightly. “I’m kind of sad to admit,” her eyes stayed locked onto her fingers, “that this was probably the best date I’ve ever been on.” Her palms rested flat against his chest once more as she sighed. “If it were real, I’d probably invite you in.”

His fingers brushed gently along the bottom of her upper arm. “I’d say no, it’s late, but next time for sure… If it were real.”

Anna hadn’t realized how close they had gotten, or that her gaze had drifted upwards and was locked onto his. “Right, because you’re a gentleman.”

He laughed. “I try to be.”

“But…” This was dangerous, and Anna was finally thinking clearly enough to know it would end in a very, very bad way. Shut it down, shut it  _ down _ . “It’s  _ not _ real, so I guess none of that matters.”

She watched his shoulders drop, felt his hand leave her skin, and took two steps back herself before he turned his feet to signal he was ready to leave. “Right. We’re…” he coughed, looking anywhere but at her. “We might be  _ too _ good at faking it.”

_ Oh, no _ .

“Maybe.” Anna pulled out her keys, ignoring the feeling of loss that hollowed out her chest.

“Well,” Kristoff twisted his body away from her, and pointed down the stairs. “I’ll… get going then…” He turned back to her for a moment, his lips pressed together. “Yeah. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” She waved from her doormat, not willing to risk any more physical contact, and watched as he walked down the stairs, his hair bouncing just slightly with each step, before quickly ducking into her apartment and leaning backwards against the closed door. 

Shit shit shit shit shit. 

—

-

—

It was gameday today and Kristoff couldn’t stop thinking about their date. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was almost bummed that he didn’t get to see her yesterday. The date had gone over well, and the internet was now raving about them as a couple. Kristoff couldn’t help but smile at the photos, especially the one where their fingers were interlaced, and both had huge grins on their faces as if they had been laughing. 

He wouldn’t have been able to tell when it was taken if not for the plates in front of them, because the entire night had been just like that.

It had genuinely started to feel like a  _ real _ date, and a really  _ good one _ , at that.

When did he stop being annoyed by her? Was it when he forced himself to be civil with her? Because then he had been able to see how kind and hard-working she was. Or maybe it had just been natural, something that was bound to happen because she was warm and inviting and made everyone around her feel at ease. He couldn’t point it out directly, but he was pleased with the change all the same.

He heard her before he saw her, and felt his entire mood lift. He knew that wasn’t great, but elected to ignore it when she came around the corner and he could see her biting her lip to stop from smiling at him, too. 

“Hi.” Anna was blushing just slightly, tugging the ends of her hair between her fingers. 

“ _ Hi _ .” His voice was breathy and high and not like him at  _ all _ and oh no oh no, oh  _ no _ .

She stepped up to where he had been standing in the locker room and he couldn’t help the pulling on his cheeks as he absolutely dwarfed her. The other night she had worn heels, and Kristoff almost forgot how small she was. But he was quickly reminded. “So…”

Oh no. He wanted to kiss her for real. No, no, that would not do. There was no way he could let that happen. “So, Honey said today’s a good day for the fake photo, right?” Kristoff could feel his heart clench as he emphasized the word  _ fake _ and she flinched just enough for him to notice.

“Um…” she hummed, dropping her hands as she bounced slightly on her toes. “Yeah, I was thinking…” Anna pulled nervously at her bottom lip before turning on her toes to point out towards the arena. “It might be cute… me on the bench, you on the ice, forehead kiss?”

He could picture it so clearly and had to stop himself from getting excited. “That sounds… good. Yeah.”

“Okay!” 

Then she avoided him until they got to the ice for warm-ups, when he put his  _ boyfriend  _ mask on and his  _ goalie _ mask up on top of his head before skating up to her on the bench, where she was prepping her notebook and mic, and made an  _ I-want-a-hug _ motion with his padded arms. 

Anna pretended to be bashful, waving him away, giggling wildly when he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off of the bench. She turned in his arms when her feet touched ground again and reached up to rest her hands on his shoulders. He lifted gloved hands to her cheeks, hiding most of her face before he leaned down and pressed one lingering kiss to her forehead. 

He couldn’t look at her. 

Pressing his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes, he let out a deep breath. 

She wished him luck. He nodded against her skin. And then, with eyes still closed, he skated backwards and slapped his mask back down to cover his flushed cheeks and eyes that couldn’t stop lingering on the bench.

He knew, then, that he had to get control over these feelings

He played the worst game of his life that night. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a little bit sorry.

“Papa, please, could you just _listen_ —“ 

Anna was pacing the small length of her apartment, listening as best she could to her fathers’ enraged rambling. Elsa had given her a heads up that Gerda thought it would be for the best that no one knew that it was for PR. You never knew who would be the one to spill the beans and ruin everything. Elsa had _also_ let her know that she went with the story that Anna was _so moved_ by his actions that they got to talking, and then decided to date. _After_ the photos were taken. 

It didn’t seem like he had taken the news so well.

“I saw in the pre-game coverage,” he seethed, his voice low and threatening. “You two were fooling around on the bench, and then he plays like _that_ ?” She could almost hear the tapping of his fingers against his desk. “Absolutely _not_ , Anna. If you’re a distraction, then maybe I just need to find some _other_ work for you back _here_.”

“ _Papa_.” She sighed, dropping down to sit on the bed. “Everyone has off games.” 

“I’ve already let this kid get away with so much —“

“The fans _love_ his chivalry —“

“If his _game_ isn’t worth keeping him around, what is even the point?” He cleared his throat and she could picture him shaking his head, gaze dropping to the ground like he always did when he was disappointed. “You’re very sweet, Anna, and you care about people. But you don’t _understand_ the implications, here… I’m starting to regret taking your opinion into consideration.”

Anna swallowed around the new lump in her throat. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t. 

“I’m…” She wasn’t sorry. She knew she was right about keeping Kristoff. Everyone had bad games once in a while. He’d bounce back in no time. “I understand why you feel that way.”

He didn’t say another word before he hung up.

Anna didn’t let herself get _this_ kind of mad too often, and before she did something _dumb_ \- like throw her phone against the wall and hope it broke so he wouldn’t be able to call her _ever again_ \- she pulled her fluffiest pillow up to her chest and curled around it before _screaming_ until her downstairs neighbor slammed something against their ceiling to shut her up. 

She did let herself cry, now.

—

She wasn’t sure how much later it was when she woke up, but her head was pounding and her throat was _raw_ and everything felt stuffy and muffled and weird. Glancing at her phone, she saw a few missed calls from her sister, and one from Honeymaren all timed at about two hours ago. 

So she had been out for a bit, then. 

One voicemail from Elsa: 

_Anna, I’m so, so sorry. He did_ not _seem that mad when he said he was going to call you. I tried to talk to him - tried to explain that you’re an adult and can date whoever you want… but he just said something about how Bjorgman is on contract and shouldn’t be fooling around with you. I think he thinks Kristoff just wants some sort of leg up? As if our father wouldn’t trade him for dating you. Maybe we should try Gerda again. See if she’ll let us tell him it’s fake?_

_Anna, I’m sorry he spoke to you like that. I… I’m just really sorry._

One from Honeymaren: 

_Heeeeey, Anna… so, Kristoff’s in a mood today. Not sure if you knew why? Also your father has called everyone who has any sort of say in anything down here demanding to know why he wasn’t told about the… um…_ torrid _love affair… between the two of you. Hah. Never knew a man who demanded to know about his daughter’s sex life before. Pretty weird. Anyway, that’s not my business I guess._

_My business, however, is letting you know that… after much deliberation, Gerda decided that - if and only if_ you _want to - we can… discuss letting a person or two in on the whole scheme. Just uh, call me back, I guess!_

Anna couldn’t stop glaring at her phone. _Now_ they say it’s fine to tell him. _Now_ they give her permission, after he already told her she was a screw up who couldn’t do anything but distract men. Awesome. Great. Fantastic.

She was pressing _call_ before she had even realized it.

“...Hullo?”

His voice was thick and sleepy, and Anna frowned. It was an away game, and it was prime time for most of the team to be taking their pre-game naps. 

“I’m sorry ah…” she felt herself sniffle and then everything went downhill from there. “I didn’t even,” a wet laugh, “realize I was calling you.”

He sounded more awake, and she could hear some bed sheets rustling. “No, hey, it’s all right. What's up?”

Anna wiped at her face and let out another pathetic kind of laugh. “It’s so stupid, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t even be bothering you right now. It’s just… I guess I couldn’t think of anyone else to call and cry to.”

He let out a chuckle. “It’s really okay, Anna. Are you all right?”

She hated herself, then, because just the sound of his warm laughter lightened the weight on her chest and started to make her feel ten times better. “Ah, god, no. I mean… _yeah_ … It’s nothing serious, like I said…” 

Hugging the pillow tighter to her chest, she breathed out a heavy sigh. “Just… my dad. I guess he doesn’t like that we’re… _dating_ , or whatever.” Kristoff was quiet on the other end, and Anna immediately started beating herself up. It wasn’t _real_ , and she had to stop talking about it like it _was_ . “Gerda said… we shouldn’t tell him? I guess? Anyway he just basically… I don’t know. He thinks I’m distracting you, but I told him _everyone has bad games_ … and I guess… I just wanted to talk to _you_ , weirdly enough…”

He still hadn’t spoken. 

“I’m… sorry. I’m sorry, Kristoff I’ll… let you go.”

She heard him take in a deep breath. “We’ll… talk when I get home, okay?”

Anna started gnawing on her bottom lip, powerless to stop it. “... Yeah. I’m sorry, again.”

There was a sound of affirmation before he hung up, and Anna had never felt more alone than she did right then. 

—

-

—

Kristoff already knew that he needed to distance himself from her. 

Her calling him when she was upset just solidified it. 

He had to shut it down before it took on a life of its own. 

He had been playing like absolute garbage since their _date_ , and he knew she was the only thing different in his life. He couldn’t stop thinking about her - both about her smile and her perfect ass - and he couldn’t stop _staring_ at her on the bench. He couldn’t help the stupid rise of jealousy that burned at his throat when she interviewed his teammates and giggled along with their dumb jokes, either. 

At least she wasn’t on the roadie. They had managed to scrape out a couple wins and had started to recover from his last two godawful home games. They had one more game out here in Seattle and he would _not_ let the knowledge that Anna was upset distract him. He couldn’t _afford_ it.

This was why he didn’t date. 

He couldn't afford to be _soft_ out there, or else he let his entire team down.

—

They had won against Seattle. Barely. The whole team had to work three times as hard to scrape by with a win in overtime because Kristoff had let in too many easy shots.

In the end, Kristoff got chewed out by Mattias and was warned that if he had one more game like this, they were going to bench him for at least five games, if not more. The bus ride was tense. The whole team was mad at him, and Kristoff could practically feel the tension in the air, it was so thick. 

Sven tried, like he always does, but in the end his jokes and positive mental attitude pissed Kristoff off.

He sat alone in the back. 

On the plane, too.

When they touched back down at home, Kristoff went straight to his truck, went straight to his home, took a hot shower and did his best to force himself to sleep. There were a few texts that he had missed while getting ready to sleep, and Kristoff couldn’t help the white knuckle grip that he was clenching his phone with. 

Sven. _Hey man, are you okay? I’m here if you need to talk_.

His mother _. Baby, what’s going on? You don’t let in those easy glove shots. Is everything all right?_

And Anna. _I’m really sorry about earlier. I’m around whenever you want to talk. If you want, I guess. Congrats on the win. Hard fought and well-deserved_.

Kristoff threw his phone down somewhere in the mess of his sheets and buried his head into his pillow, hoping more than anything that sleep would come quickly. 

—

The next morning he woke early, texted Anna to see if she was awake, then headed to her apartment even though she hadn’t responded. He knew he had to get this over and done with as quickly as possible. He was going to hate every second of it.

He knocked on her door a few times, waited, knocked again, sighed, knocked once more, and then when he was just about to give up he heard the locks clicking. Anna swung open the door, clearly still half asleep, and grumbled a “whatdoyouwant” that was so slurred he was amazed he even understood it.

She was sleep rumpled and adorable in her oversized tee and tiny, tiny shorts that barely poked out from underneath the top, her face flushed and hair messy, and he almost decided he didn’t want to do this. But his fucking _career_ was at stake here. 

“Hey.” Kristoff kept his voice warm and even. “I’m sorry to wake you.”

Anna looked more alert when she noticed it was him and promptly stepped aside to gesture for him to come into the apartment. 

“I need to… say something.”

She stared at him for a moment, and if not for her blinking eyes he would’ve sworn she fell back asleep standing up, but then she nodded and held up one hand. “Let me just… coffee… You want some?”

Refusing, Kristoff waved her off and moved to take a seat on her couch. He had barely gotten dressed, just threw on some sweats and a t-shirt, and suddenly his mind was full of early mornings with her, looking like _that_ , him still in his own pajamas, her bringing him coffee as he cooked them breakfast and fuckfuckfuck.

He stood quickly and marched into her kitchen and took in a breath before he stated from the doorway “we need to stop interacting as much outside of publicity things.”

Anna’s eyes were wide, a scoop of coffee grounds slowly poured onto the kitchen floor as her fingers lost their grip, the spoon dangling loosely from between them, and he had to avert his gaze when she made an obvious effort to swallow. “What?” Her voice was so quiet.

“I think,” he didn’t know what to do with his hands, so he clenched them by his hips. “Maybe…” He needed to give it no wiggle room. “You’re getting the wrong idea? We’re… _not…_ ”

She scoffed, threw the spoon onto the counter and then crossed her arms. “I know we’re _not_ .” And then he watched her flicker between angry and sad too many times to count. “But I thought we were… kind of _friends_ …”

He felt nauseated. 

“We need a more clear separation, Anna. You can’t...” He scratched at the back of his head. “I’m not _actually_ your boyfriend.”

Anna’s gaze had drifted to the counter, and she was doing a fantastic job of staring a hole into the fake marble pattern. “I know.”

“I…” _Don’t apologize_. “It’s for the best, you know? Keep it…” He stupidly cut a hand through the air and cursed himself for not just keeping his fists at his side. “Cut and dry. No… confusion.”

“Sure.”

She hadn’t moved, and Kristoff took a step back. “So… okay. Just the… events, then. From now on.”

Silence from Anna was the worst thing he had ever experienced. Her still body made it worse. How had he taken her, so alive and energetic, and made her look like _that_? He knew it was for the best, but he couldn’t help the ache that squeezed in his chest. “So,” he cleared his throat and pointed his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing to the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Anna only gave him one stern nod before he let himself out, heading immediately to the gym because god _fucking damn it_ he needed to punch something. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo this fic is rated M. This chapter... makes that applicable! Heads up lmao

Anna looked so tired. 

She was slumped over, head in her hands as Honeymaren rubbed a circle on her back while they continued to speak in hushed tones. She put on enough makeup to fool the cameras, but there was a dullness in her eyes that he was unfamiliar with. He wanted to help, but he had a feeling he was part of the  _ problem _ . 

But here they were, in public, and if he didn’t do  _ something _ it would probably make others suspicious.  _ But _ he also didn’t want to make things worse. Kristoff jumped when a hand clapped down on her shoulder. “She all right? I heard her dad reamed her out for something —“ Kristoff glanced over at Sven, frowning beside him. “Sounded like he was threatening to take her job away.” 

“What?”

Sven looked up at him like he had two heads. “She… didn’t tell you?”

He frowned. “... I think she tried to, the other night. When we were in Seattle…” Fuck. “But… I was stressed about the game.”

“Well.” Sven shoved forward on his shoulder. “Don’t be a shit boyfriend. Go over and help her.”

But Kristoff held his ground, frowning. “I don’t think she wants me to. We… kind of fought, yesterday.” 

Sven sighed. “Seriously? Already? What did you do?”

“Just… not sure I’m cut out to be a boyfriend.”

Kristoff felt his whole body tense when Anna finally looked up and noticed him staring at her. Her eyes fluttered slightly before she gave him the tiniest smile, flicking her fingers for a tiny wave. He should never have asked her to do this. He was genuinely a terrible person, wasn’t he? 

He hadn’t even noticed that Sven left his side until he saw Anna standing to greet him, a sad little pull of her lips as he spoke with her, and a genuine laugh as he pulled her into a hug. He was rocking back and forth, clearly doing his best to make her feel better, and Kristoff felt that horrid bite of jealousy rising in the back of his throat again. He couldn’t  _ do  _ this. He had no  _ right _ to this feeling. And he knew, even if he  _ wanted _ something to happen with Anna, it couldn’t happen now. His game would suffer and  _ she _ would suffer, because he wasn’t sure that he would be able to be what she deserved. 

He turned away, tense and frustrated, and headed towards the locker room to get himself prepared for the game tonight. 

—

First period. Salt Lake City scores twice. Ice breakers don’t. They can still catch up. Mattias reminds him that he won’t hesitate to bench him. 

2-0.

Second period. Salt Lake scores twice more. Ice breakers sneak one in top shelf. His teammates are clearly angry with him. He watches Anna interview defenseman Anisimov and feels their eyes turn to him. He squirts water on his face before skating off the ice. 

4-1.

Third period. Ice breakers score. Then Salt Lake. He slams his stick against the pipes and breaks it in half. He gets pulled. He sits on the bench and watches Nieminen stretch and warm up and take over his position. Nieminen doesn’t let in another goal, but the Ice Breakers can’t catch up. It ends.

5-3. 

Another loss. 

Kristoff undresses and avoids the media. Then he sits, quiet and emotionless, as Mattias pulls him into his office and explains that he has to bench him for a few games. Let Nieminen start for a bit. Mattias tells him that he needs to figure out what it is that’s affecting his game and fix it. That they can have the team counselor try to help, if Kristoff would like. 

But he doesn’t need that. He knows what it is. She’s in the locker room, interviewing his teammates. But he doesn’t know what to  _ do _ .

He stays there for a while. Waits for the rest of the team to leave. No one says anything to him. No one lingers around. He waits for over an hour until the arena is quieting down around him. Someone comes in to sweep the locker room and check their supplies. Kristoff only notices him when he comes into the office for the trash.

“Sorry,” he apologizes. Kristoff says nothing. He leaves, too.

He knows no one else will be coming in tonight, and that gives him the motivation to finally stand up and  _ leave _ .

Kristoff turns the corner, and freezes. Anna is sitting by a cubby, waiting for him. 

“What are you still doing here?” 

Anna jumped when she heard his voice, stood up quickly and gasped when her phone hit the ground after it slipped from her fingers. “I… um,” she tucked hair behind her ear and bent down to pick it up, setting it more gently onto the bench beside her. “You… I heard Mattias yelling and… I just wanted to make sure you were okay…?”

He scoffed and moved towards his own area, staring at her until she stepped aside, and shoved his pads into the cubby. “What do you think?”

“I just —“

He turned on her then, towering over her, and took a step closer as she closed her lips tightly. “Don’t.”

He didn’t want her pity. He didn’t want her to be nice. He didn’t want her to fucking care about him, because he couldn’t handle this. He couldn’t stand the fact that he  _ could not _ be with her in the way he wanted to be. He couldn’t just be her friend, and pretend that everything was fine when all he wanted was to — 

Kristoff turned abruptly and chucked his mask into the top hole of his unit and stood silent as the two water bottles he kept up there came flying out from the impact, rolling god knows where, the sound of plastic on wood the only sound in the room. Anna took a step back, her heel clicking on the ground, and Kristoff slumped forward to press his head against the hard wood. 

“God!” She groaned, practically stomping her foot against the floor. “You’re such an asshole! Are you kidding me?” Her arms were crossed over her chest and she had started pacing. “I… I’m just trying to help! But you won’t let me. I just can’t figure out what changed between the other night and now!” 

He turned to look at her more fully, saw the flush in her cheeks and the tension in her brow and he hated that he was the cause of it. But he couldn’t shut himself up. “You can’t be serious, Anna. You’re here being nice to me, for what?”

She stopped, then, and turned to face him. “Because I  _ actually  _ care. I’m not  _ pretending _ that I care about you, as a person!” A loud yell of frustration left her throat and he stood up straighter. “What did I  _ do _ ?!”

His temper was rising. He couldn’t handle this. She couldn’t actually care about him. “ _ This _ ! You do this. You’re,” he gestured wildly to her, his eyebrows furrowing. “You’re  _ nice _ .”

“What?!”

“It’s…” He tangled his fingers in his hair and tensed, a sound of frustration leaving his mouth. “It’s bad enough that I have to  _ pretend _ to care about you!” She flinched. “I… I can’t handle  _ actually _ … You see how badly I’m playing, right?” Her eyes narrowed and he pressed two fingers to his forehead as he leaned towards her. “I’m distracted. I can’t think. Because I’m focused on  _ you _ .”

Anna blew out a breath aimed up at her bangs, roughly forcing them out of her eyes. “Oh, so you’re  _ so emotionally stunted _ that you can’t handle  _ caring _ about someone? You can’t handle that we’re  _ friends _ ? God!” Throwing her hands up and continuing to pace, Anna let out a soft, but bitter laugh. “You’re really afraid of letting people in, aren’t you!”

He needed her to shut up. He needed her to stop knowing him. He needed her to stop, to stop, to be quiet. He needed… he needed  _ her _ .

“You know what? Fine, I’ll just keep  _ pretending _ to be your girlfriend and  _ not _ caring and —“

He had stormed forward, had tangled her hair in between his fingers, and had pressed his mouth firmly against hers and suddenly,  _ suddenly _ , he felt tension draining from his shoulders. Anna’s mouth moved against his, a small sound of contentment vibrated from her throat, and her fingers squeezed at his forearms as he tightened his own grip on her.

And then he heard a muffled protest, felt her shoving against his chest, and he immediately pulled away, his eyes searching hers, wide with surprise. 

And then she slapped him. 

“What the  _ fuck _ ?!”

Kristoff let go of her, took three steps back, and swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m sorry. I…” Her eyes were wide, her fingers touching at her mouth gently as she stared at him. “I don’t know — I… That didn’t happen. We’ll just…” But he could feel her on his lips, and he didn’t know if he could go back to a time before he knew how she felt against them. 

She continued to stare at him, taking short breaths as he backed up further. God he wished she would say something,  _ anything _ , even if she yelled at him again. “Can you… say…”

But then she was rushing at him, throwing her arms around his neck as she pulled him close to kiss her  _ again _ . Hands roamed wildly, his spanning across her back, hers touching his jaw and his neck and his chest before settling in the shaggy hair at the bottom of his skull. But after a few minutes, his back was protesting being bent at this angle. He took a risk. 

Kristoff grabbed her by the bottom of her thighs and hoisted her up to wrap her legs around his waist, a small squeak escaping her throat as he adjusted her on his hips. He was thankful that she had worn a loose skirt today, and couldn’t stop his fingers from tightening their grip on her soft, creamy thighs. 

Anna pulled back just a hair, parting their lips and smirked down at him from her new leverage point slightly above him as he chased her mouth. He held her tightly as he removed her hands from his neck, and felt his whole body heating impossibly more as she started the slow, unbearable unbuttoning of her blouse. Slowly, slowly,  _ slowly _ , the lace of her deep blue bra peeked out and Kristoff’s fingers were squeezing hard enough he was sure she’d bruise, and he felt a sigh of relief as she dropped the blouse down to the ground.

He only managed to nip the new skin once before she was tugging on his hair again, forcing him to look up at her. Anna’s mouth slanted over his and he sighed through his nose, losing himself in the slick slide of her tongue over his. 

Kristoff needed his hands free for a moment. 

Walking towards the edge of the room, he pressed Anna’s bare back against the wall before letting go of her thighs. “Just—“ She took the hint, leaning back just enough for him to roughly pull his t-shirt over his head, baring the breadth of his chest to her. She bit her lip and he laughed, his fingers sliding up her back to pull her skin flush against his. 

“You just don’t realize how hot you are, do you?” Her words were hurried and breathless as she kissed him again, nails scraping at his shoulders as she rolled her hips against him. 

That was new, but  _ fuck _ if he hadn’t been fantasizing about this since he first saw her. 

“Are you sure —“

Anna nodded as her lips cut him off again, rolled her hips bigger this time, as if she couldn’t get enough friction, and that was consent enough for him. He dropped one hand back beneath her skirt, tracing it down from the top of her bottom all the way to the crease between her thigh and her center and he could already feel how wet she was, heat radiating from her. 

“Do you have —“

“Pill,” she gasped.

And fuck him, he’d probably not do this if it were anyone else but it was  _ Anna _ and he was so fucking desperate for her that he just  _ did not care  _ about the consequences, and clearly she didn’t either. He dragged two fingers, slow and soft, across her panties, and didn’t miss how she shuddered against him before he reached down to undo his own jeans, gasping as his painfully hard cock practically freed itself. 

She kissed him harder, pulled his bottom lip between her teeth as she let go of his shoulders to fit her hands between their chests, pulling gracelessly at the front of her bra. He felt it pop open, and thanked the god above for inventing front clasp bras, groaning as her shifting to throw the now useless garment wound up making the leaky head of his cock brush against her thigh.

“Fuck, Anna…” his words were muffled by her lips as she tugged on his arm to bring it back around to her front, guiding his hand to her now exposed breast as she leaned back against the wall. He was amazed at her, so tiny beneath him, as his one hand could span across the entirety of her, could touch all of her at once. But he needed his hands somewhere else.

Kristoff let go of her mouth, then, and kissed at her jaw, at her throat, nipped her collarbone and finally found the perfect swell of her breast with his lips, tracing his tongue down to her pebbled nipple. Anna sighed and dropped her head back, letting him continue with his worship of her, small squeaks of satisfaction vibrating from her throat.

He lowered his hand back below her skirt, one holding her up as the other started small circles on the thin fabric of her panties, admiring how damp they had become. He walked his fingers over, gently sliding the soft cloth to the side before dragging one finger lazily through her slit, soaking his own skin with her arousal. But Anna squeezed her thighs around his hip, wrapped her arms tighter around his head, and finally sighed with relief, as if she had finally satisfied an itch, when his fingers slipped into her, thrusting gently and stretching slowly.

How wet she was just made him more aroused and Jesus Christ he needed to be inside her  _ right _ now. 

Pulling his fingers from her, he lifted his hand to her cheek, grabbing her firmly as he kissed her again. “Are you  _ s—“ _

“ _Yes_ , God, please just _fuck me already.”_

Kristoff couldn’t deny a pretty girl what she was asking for.

Strong arms shifted her, guided and angled her perfectly over his cock, before he reached down to hold himself steady, tip teasing her entrance. He wet the head, sliding it through her folds from the base to the clit, and just as she seemed like she was going to yell at him to  _ do it _ , he buried himself into her in one swift motion, pausing for a moment to let them both adjust.

Anna was shaking as he pressed her harder against the wall, one hand still supporting her while the other snuck up her waist to find her breast again, pinching a nipple between calloused fingers. Her hands lifted to cup his jaw, attaching her mouth to his once more. “ _ Move _ ,” she hummed against his mouth and god damn it, move he  _ would _ .

It was animalistic, what took over him after he pulled out and thrust back carefully in the first time, but he didn’t think he could hold back if he tried. He was fucking into her hard and fast, the sound of skin meeting skin echoing through the room as she gasped and mewled into this mouth, tongue desperate to find his between her short, shallow breaths. 

It wasn’t taking much for him to reach his edge. He wanted her to come first, though.

Thick fingers found her clit, circling in time to his thrusts, satisfaction blooming in his chest when she  _ couldn’t _ anymore, and dropped her head into the crook of his neck. It was quick and fast and dirty, and she was panting his name in his ear as he felt her whole body tense and release. He was close, so  _ close _ , and he fucked her through her own climax before pulling out and releasing on her thighs.

Sighs were heavy and deep as they both tried desperately to catch their breath.

“ _ Fuck _ .”

He felt so much better, grimacing at the quiet ache in his arms as she kissed him once, languid and soft, then wiggled in his grasp, silently asking to be let go. 

Kristoff watched in awe as she sighed and used her skirt to wipe his cum from her skin, then felt a rush of something different that he couldn’t quite put his finger on as she immediately started to pull her blouse back over her shoulders. Was she running? Did she regret it? He  _ asked _ if she was  _ sure _ … Was she…?

“Hey —“

Anna turned to look at him, her face red and shoulders tense. He couldn’t read her, just watched her swallow and button up her top before she stepped closer to him again. His head was foggy from his orgasm but he liked her hands on his cheeks, liked her thumbs running softly over his stubble.  _ Really _ liked her standing on her tip toes to kiss him again as he circled his arms around her slim waist. 

He didn’t know what this meant for them, and honestly didn’t really care yet - because for this short moment it was  _ real  _ and he could hold her close and breathe her in for as long as he wanted. “Anna…” 

She pulled back, just slightly, and pressed one more kiss to his lips. “I should go.”  _ Yeah _ , right, it was very late and they were still in the locker room. “This was…” she just let out a laugh and pressed her palms to his chest. “But I should go.”

“Okay.” Kristoff cleared his throat and kissed her  _ again _ . Something deep inside of him had melted, softened, was making it hard to let go of her waist. And then she deepened it, pulling him closer, parting her lips and  _ fuck _ . He loved kissing her. But if she didn’t stop he was going to take her again on the  _ floor _ and she was right, they really  _ should _ go. He pulled away, regret burning in his chest. “We really should.”

Nodding, Anna dragged her hands through the soft, untamed hair on his chest, and let out another soft laugh. “Yep… yes.” And then she let go of him, moved to grab her purse, and was heading out the door before he could protest. “I’ll… see you later?”

“I’ll be here,” he shrugged before scratching at the back of his neck. “... Pretty much always.”

She laughed at that and fumbled with the door handle before she disappeared, Kristoff just staring at the space she had previously occupied.

What the  _ hell _ just happened? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo was it worth the wait? Hahahahahahh..... we’ll seeeeeeee.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is brought to you by my screaming at my cats about how these idiots don’t know what they want and it’s making it very difficult to write about. 
> 
> Idk i don’t love this chapter but it’s done lmao. More fun soon i promise. :^)
> 
> Also HAVE YOU SEEN THIS!?!? HAVE YOU SEEN THIS ART!!! Because i’ts been days and i’m still obsessed with it :: https://kristanna.tumblr.com/post/614791903262687232
> 
> It’s from a future chapter so SEEEE... there’s some joy coming i promise!!!!!

Anna let the scalding water pound on her back, trying her best to focus on the slight burn it left on her skin. She was never going to forget the way he felt, the way he kissed her, the way his hands had been gentle and kind while also pulling her over the edge. This was probably the dumbest thing she had ever done.  _ Ever _ .

Leaning her forehead against the cool tile of her shower, Anna started pulling anxiously at her bottom lip, running her fingers over her mouth and tongue and remembered how his own had moved against hers. Maybe this had been inevitable. Maybe there was something that couldn’t be stopped between them. 

Or maybe she was just stupid.

There was an undeniable attraction between them - there had been since day one. Something that she couldn’t quite place as her eyes always found him, always raked their way from his head to toe, and  _ always _ left her just a little flustered. Then he had to go and admit that he wanted her, too, and that he felt so strongly about it that he thought it was the universe punishing him. How was she supposed to resist  _ that _ ?

But he said he didn’t date, and she had accepted that. But then they  _ went on a date _ \- even if it was fake - and clearly…  _ clearly _ they still wanted each other. But it wasn’t  _ real _ , and then he started being an absolute  _ dick _ to her again and…

He gave her the worst whiplash.

Anna groaned and let herself slide down the shower wall, sitting on the floor as the water continued to pound over her head. What did  _ she _ want? What was the ideal situation here? 

The time they had spent together was _ fun _ , and she really had been starting to like him as a person. Plus, she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that that was probably the best sex she had ever had… and maybe she was awful for fantasizing about how much better it would be if they did it again. 

Besides, there was the issue that Kristoff didn’t date - and they were kind of in this contractual fake relationship, and what if them being in a  _ real _ relationship was  _ awful _ and she screwed up the whole thing? And that wasn’t even accounting for the fact that he  _ had _ started being rude to her again for  _ no reason _ \- at least, no reason that she felt was  _ valid _ .

But, fuck, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go back to not kissing him and not letting him touch her again.

Anna finished her shower, patting her now bright red skin with her softest towel before falling back into her bed, hair still wet, as she dug around for her phone. She needed to talk to _ someone _ … even if it would probably result in her getting scolded.

She sighed, and dialed her sister anyway.

She picked up on the second ring. Elsa always answered. “Anna? It’s…” a slight yawn in the pause. “It’s like two in the morning. What’s wrong?”

“Oh, shit,” Anna looked at her phone to confirm the blinking  _ 2:15 am _ on top of it, and groaned. “Shit, Elsa, I’m sorry. I… didn’t realize how late it was I… this can wait —“

“No, no, it’s  _ fine _ .” She could hear her sister moving to sit up. “Obviously something’s bothering you. What’s going on?”

Anna paused, hummed for a moment, and then took a deep breath before just stating the truth. “So…. um…  _ now _ I might’ve slept with him.”

“Oh, lord. What do you mean you  _ might _ have slept with him?” Elsa let out a kind of mocking laugh. “That’s kind of a did or did not kind of situation, Anna.”

“... I did.”

A heavy sigh echoed through the phone. “Anna…”

“I know!” Anna shot back up into a sitting position and threw her free arm up into the air. “I knoooow.” A whine. “It just… it just  _ happened _ .”

“Well I imagine he didn’t  _ fall  _ into your vagina.”

“Elsa!” Her sister was laughing, but Anna knew it wasn’t  _ at _ her - just… at the situation - and that helped ease the tight knot that had formed in her chest. “Come  _ on _ .”

“All right, then, how did it  _ just happen _ ?”

Anna sighed and laid back down on the bed, planting her feet flat against the mattress. “I don’t know, we were fighting and then we were kissing and then it… happened.” 

“Fighting?” The amusement had  _ not _ left Elsa’s voice. 

“ _ Yes _ , okay? It was sexy fighting that turned into sexy kissing that turned into really _ , really _ hot sex. Is that what you want to hear?” Anna’s cheeks were burning as she threw her hand down over her eyes. “That we were so primal and animalistic that we couldn’t help but fuck right  _ there _ , right against the locker room wall?”

Elsa snorted. “I mean,  _ ew _ , not particularly.” She laughed, her voice quieter and teasing. “The  _ locker room _ ?  _ Really _ ?”

Anna couldn’t help the groan that tore from her throat. “I know. I know!” And then she froze. “I think I left my bra on the floor.”

Elsa burst out laughing, then, unable to hold it back. 

Anna hung up.

Talking to Elsa had calmed her down enough to be able to fall asleep, but it hadn’t been  _ good _ sleep. She had tossed and turned, had very vivid and very  _ inappropriate _ dreams all night, and in the morning when she went to move her clothes from last night into the hamper that she clearly missed, the slightly stiff edge of her skirt brought all the memories flooding back.

_ Fuck _ .

—

-

—

Kristoff couldn’t help himself. He tapped anxiously at the edge of his phone, staring at the blinking cursor that had started to  _ mock _ him. He had wanted to text her last night, wanted to make sure she really was all right, but something had stopped him - and now, the last text from her congratulating him on the win in Seattle, before he had been an asshole, and before he had gave in to his stupid urges, sat there, tormenting him.

What even would he say? ‘ _Had fun, we should do it again’_? ‘ _Let’s pretend this never happened’_? Or, fuck, he could admit that he was an idiot and that she was affecting him in more ways than one. How about a pathetic, _‘Let’s try this for real_ ’?

He had typed out a few false starts, things that he was humiliated he even thought were appropriate, before sighing and giving up, figuring he’d see her today or tomorrow. It was probably better if they talked about it in person, anyway. 

Leaning back against his cubby, he shut his eyes for a little while, keeping them closed as he tried to stay calm as the rest of the team started filtering into the room for practice. It wasn’t until he heard a low, perverse whistle that he even cracked open an eye.

“Oh,  _ someone _ got fucked in here last night!”

That got his attention.

There was Murphy, twirling a familiar blue bra in between his fingers, whistling as he held it up for the whole team to see. “Now who on earth could  _ this _ belong to?”

Bouchard came up, a filthy smirk on his face as he gripped the cups in his palms. “Nah, not big enough to be one of mine. What about one of the ice girls?”

Sven cut in, rolling his eyes. “You know none of them would sleep with any of you  _ pigs _ .” He chanced a glance over at Kristoff, and saw the deep crimson flush burning on his cheeks. His voice lowered, so only Kristoff could hear him. “Oh,  _ shit _ , dude. Is that—“

“Wait!” Kennedy shot out of his seat, and accusatory finger pointing right in Kristoff’s face. “You were the last to leave last night…”

“Oh, oh!” Murphy clutched the bra tighter in his fist as he raised his hands over his head. “Anna was wearing a turtleneck!”

The whole locker room erupted, and Kristoff stood from his seat, marched forward and let his fist collide with Murphy’s stomach, forcing him to double over in pain while Kristoff simply plucked the bra from his hands. 

They quieted down pretty quickly after that.

“Hey, man, we’re just teasing —“ Kennedy.

Bouchard. “I mean maybe getting fucked will help your game, right?”

“Ease some tension you fucking —“

“All of you need to shut the fuck up.” Sven. Thank  _ god _ for Sven. “Shut up and get on the ice, you fucking idiots.” But then he turned back to Kristoff, a glare on his face, and simply pointed to the little lounge they had. “Go.”

So Kristoff threw her undergarments into his duffel and went to the lounge, closing the door behind him and sighing with relief when the sound of the guys’ confusion and annoyance was drowned out by the semi-soundproof walls. He sat in the middle of the couch, waiting patiently for his scolding like a child, and leaned back against the cushion with a groan. 

All of this tension because he couldn’t stop thinking with his cock.

The door opened and closed and Kristoff refused to move. He heard the scrape of a chair, a heavy sigh, and then Sven tapping his fingers against the arm before he spoke. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, man, but you have to figure it out.” Kristoff didn’t reply, and Sven simply sat forward. “Look… clearly there’s some… tension out there. But you know they’re just fucking around, right? Like…” Kristoff wasn’t looking at him, but he knew he was carding his fingers through his hair, pushing back the curls. “Is something wrong between you and Anna? You haven’t seemed right since… you guys started, you know, going out.”

“It’s fake.”

A hesitation. “What?”

“It’s fake. We’re not really dating. It’s…” Kristoff waved his hands in the air noncommittally. “Publicity. I guess. To help with the fact that I beat the shit out of Westergaard.”

The silence dragged on, and Kristoff couldn’t bear not to look at his best friend. “I wasn’t supposed to say anything.”

Sven scratched at his jaw, twisting his lips to the side. “So… is this whole bra thing some sort of stunt so the team… Believes? Or…“

“No, that was real.” Kristoff felt his hackles rising, felt the burn of shame in his throat.

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“So…” Sven squinted his eyes, clearly trying to make sense of it. “You’re not actually dating. But you’re fucking.”

“No. We’re not dating. And we had sex once. Last night.” Kristoff didn’t know why he felt so defensive. He knew Sven wasn’t going to judge him, and knew that Sven was rooting for them to actually work out anyway, so he had no reason to be.

He nodded. “So what does that mean?”

Kristoff wiped a palm over his mouth, sighing. “I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it. It was late.” He didn’t know what he wanted, anyway. What would he even bring to that conversation?

“Do you want something… to happen?”

“I don’t date, Sven.”

He laughed, then. “I mean, did I say anything about  _ dating _ ?”

Kristoff was a little struck then, unsure of how to reply. Would Anna consider some sort of no strings attached deal? They already had to spend time together, right? And it was…  _ good _ . At least he thought it was - and he supposed she could have been faking  _ that _ , too.

Sven reached forward to pat his cheek, grinning. 

(Okay, Kristoff  _ definitely _ needed to find a way to make him fucking stop doing that.)

“Just… figure out what works for you guys. It can be a compromise.” He pinched at the cheek and dove back into his seat before Kristoff’s hands could smack him in retaliation. “All I know is I need you  _ back,  _ man. I need those beautiful Bjorgman saves backing my ass up, because you know I’m nothing without you out there.”

Sven stood, and then lightning fast grabbed Kristoff’s head and placed a quick kiss to his hairline. “Love you!”

“Only on the ice, Pederson!”

Sven laughed and shut the door behind him, leaving Kristoff rubbing furiously at his forehead.


	19. Chapter 19

Anna hadn’t seen Kristoff in five days. 

Rather, she had  _ seen _ him, but then immediately ran the other direction before he could see her. He had texted her just once, asking if everything was okay, if they could talk about everything, and Anna had… not replied. She was busy, yeah, that was it. He wasn’t playing so she didn’t see him at games, and she started avoiding practices since she wasn’t required to attend them.

But it had been five days, and she needed to stop avoiding this.

Kristoff did extra practice on his own while on leave from playing, and Anna made sure she’d be able to catch him. She came early, while the rest of the team was still on the ice, and sat patiently in the wings, waiting for the rest of them to leave. She wasn’t even sure what she was going to say, but there was something in her gut that told her it would come to her at the right moment. 

Standing and heading towards the ice, she startled when she heard another voice calling her name.

“Anna?” Sven asked, practically trotting up to her in his full gear. “Hey, um, glad you’re here.”

She blinked up at him for a moment before giving him her best smile. “Yeah, I’m… here to talk to Kristoff. We’ve, um, been fighting… a bit…”

Sven waved his hand between them, shaking off his glove. “Nah, I know about the… situation.”

_ Oh _ . She shouldn’t have been so surprised.

“Look, ah,” he placed a hand on her shoulder and led her a little off to the side. “I…” he sighed, blowing out a deep sigh. “I know that it’s fake, and that… maybe you’re not feeling some sort of way but…” He looked towards the ice, frowning. “Kristoff… he’s… gentler? I guess, than he lets on. His feelings…” he sighed. “Just, look, that’s my boy, that’s my best friend, right?” 

Anna nodded.

“Don’t hurt him, okay?” He patted her and shrugged. “That’s… that’s it. Whether you guys come up with something together or… I don’t know. Just… please don’t make it worse, for him.”

She wasn’t sure what to say, so she swallowed the tightness in her throat and nodded again. “Yeah,” she hummed, feeling stupid.

Sven gave her one more curt nod before leaving.

Anna wasn’t entirely positive what that had been about, but if Sven felt like he had to say something to her, she was pretty sure ignoring him had been the worst thing she could have done. A heavy sigh and a short, internal pep-talk later, Anna headed towards the ice. 

She watched him for a moment. He had pulled their shooting machine onto the ice and was blocking difficult, fast and hard shots one after another until he wore himself out. After one particularly difficult five-hole save, the machine whirred to a stop, and Kristoff dropped to his knees on the ice.

“Nice save,” she called, growing tense when his head turned to her.

Kristoff stayed silent, simply shook off his glove and began gathering pucks.

“I wanted to talk.”

She heard him laugh. “Oh, all right.  _ Now _ she wants to talk.”

“Kristoff —“

He pushed his mask up on his forehead and glared at her, sweat dripping from his hair. “I’m not yelling this across the ice, and I’m not stopping. So get out here if you want to talk.”

Hesitating, she braced her palms against the boards. “I… can’t skate. I’m actually kind of scared of skating, I could not tell you why.””

Kristoff sighed as he piled up the pucks on top of the machine. “Go get some skates from the supply room.”

“What?”

He pushed his mask back down over his face. “Get some skates. You need to learn before the family skate event.”

Kristoff didn’t seem like he had any interest in arguing, so she left, let the supply manager properly size her feet, and came back about thirty minutes later, skates in hand.

She supposed he had done another few rounds while she was gone, because he was just getting off the ice and working on removing the bulkiest of his gear. She hardly had a moment to admire his sweat soaked undershirt before he was pulling a hoodie on over his head and sitting down to unfasten his leg pads.

Sighing and trying to keep herself lighthearted, Anna let herself practically fall into the seat beside him, holding up the skates so he could see. “It does not surprise me that you’re making me do this right now.”

He laughed a little, then, and looked up at her. “Well, how bad would it look if my own girlfriend couldn’t even skate?”

Anna smiled, an apology on the tip of her tongue before he stood up, knelt before her, and held up a hand. She looked at him, confusion clearly written on her features, before he pointed at the skate and made a  _ give it here _ motion with his hands. She did, and before she knew it, he was very gently placing her feet into the skates, adjusting them around her ankles, and tying them -

“Ow, ow.”

“Sorry.”

\- just a little  _ too _ tightly. 

Kristoff stood up off the ground, dusting his knees, and held out a hand to help her off the bench. “How do they feel?”

Anna grimaced and rocked up on her toes, using his firm hand for balance. “Like I’m walking on a blade. So, I suppose, how they’re supposed to feel.”

“You get used to it.” He started walking backwards, guiding her to the door that let out onto the ice, and stepped onto it with such ease that Anna felt herself tensing up knowing that there was  _ no way _ it was as simple as it looked. 

She laughed, pulling back from him. “No, no, that’s… that’s slippery.”

“Well,  _ yeah _ ,” he chuckled too, leaning against the boards and bringing his face so close to hers that Anna could feel his breath. “It’s ice.”

“Don’t make fun of me,” she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Kristoff pushed back, amusement lighting his entire face up. “But you make it so easy.”

Anna tried to fight the smile that was stretching her cheeks, but it was absolutely no use. This was the Kristoff she had been starting to like - the one who teased her with ease, who played and smiled but still took her seriously and liked her the way she was — at least… she thought he did.

“Seriously though, come here, just… step on sideways and put your weight… yeah,” he held out his hands and helped guide her onto the ice. “Yeah, like that, it helps you not just fall immediately on your ass.”

Anna laughed, one hand on him, the other gripping the boards with fear. “At least there’s some cushion back there.”

He groaned. “Come on, don’t mention your ass.”

“You mentioned it first!”

Kristoff couldn’t help but smile. “Well it’s nice, all right, so sue me. I am still a man.”

Anna lifted her other hand from the boards, trusting him to catch her if she slipped. “All right, all right, teach me the ways of the hockey player.”

He taught her the basics, how to move, how to stop, how to shift your weight to turn, and soon enough Anna was skating with, well,  _ relative _ ease as he kept his hands right there in case she needed him. It only happened once, where she tripped over her own skates and fell backwards, sighing with relief as his hands caught her under her arms and righted her almost immediately.

“See?” Kristoff was grinning as he skated backwards in front of her, mirroring the smile she couldn’t wipe off of her own face. “Easy, right?”

Anna nodded as she found her rhythm, glad that this really wasn’t as difficult as it seemed to be, and followed him around the ice for a little while longer. “Yes, but my feet hurt now.” She started heading towards the exit and stumbled just a little as she heard the scratch of him sliding to a stop. But soon enough they were both back on the bench, Anna unlacing her skates as Kristoff started to gather up some of his gear.

She needed to say something, right? She couldn’t just ignore this forever.

“Kristoff… I’m… I’m sorry.”

He shrugged and scratched at the back of his neck. “Yeah, me, too.”

“For… ignoring you a bit.”

“Yeah.” He dropped his stuff and sat back down beside her. “Look, Anna… Like, I know I was kind of an asshole -“

“ _ Kind _ of?”

“Right, totally an asshole,” he laughed and shrugged again, dropping his head a bit. “But… I don’t know. I’m just sorry for it. I was playing like garbage and I needed someone to blame, I guess.”

Anna nodded, her own shoulders lifting. “Did you figure it out?”

Kristoff laughed again, shaking his head. “Yeah. But it’s kind of shitty and embarrassing.”

She kicked her feet out and leaned back on the bench. “Lay it on me, Bjorgman.”

He sighed, spinning on the bench to face her, swinging so one leg rested on either side. “I was so,  _ ridiculously _ pent up and frustrated because you’re just…” he gestured up and down with one hand. “You’re  _ you _ and you’re nice and warm and  _ fucking hot _ and I had to keep trying to convince myself that I didn’t  _ actually _ like you because the truth of that was… too much.”

Anna had turned her head to look at him, a frown gracing her features. “Why?”

His throat bobbed, and he sighed. “I… I’m being serious when I say I don’t date. I don’t want to start something because… I… I want a family, Anna. I want a really big family, right?”

She swallowed and nodded, turning her eyes downward. 

“But… I don’t want to start anything until my career is done, because…” He ran a hand through his hair, shrugging. “I’m afraid I’ll be like my … like my dad. My birth…” He trailed off, tilting his head to the side and averting his gaze.

Anna turned to face him, her legs straddling the bench as well, and placed her warm hands on his knees. “What happened?”

“He…” Kristoff sighed, and looked at her again. “He only cared about being the best in the world. My mother left us and he didn’t care, and I was taken away… and he didn’t  _ care _ . I…” He swallowed and then cleared his throat. “I think he was relieved, honestly. That he didn’t have to worry about me anymore.”

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Kristoff…. but…” Anna felt her entire face soften, and couldn’t help but lean closer to him. “You  _ do _ know that… dating someone doesn’t mean you have to have kids right away, yeah?” There was silence for a beat too long to be comfortable, before he looked away.

“The second I find the person I want to spend my life with,” he blew out a breath and let out one uncomfortable laugh. “I’m going to want to start that family. So…” He shrugged. “Better to not let myself even try, you know?”

She had to know. “So…” Anna pressed on, squeezing lightly where her hands still rested on his knees. “Why… why is liking  _ me _ too much?”

Because  _ she _ liked  _ him _ . Because she wanted him to keep kissing her. Because she wanted him to let her in. Because —

“I… don’t want to think too hard about that,” he pulled back from her, his face hardening as he shut down again. 

“Okay,” she scrambled, wanting him to come back, to soften and keep letting her in. “Okay, that’s… that’s fine.” She bit her lip, wondering if she was about to make a mistake. “Could we just… have fun? For now?”

Kristoff blinked twice, but came back to her, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. 

“I mean,” she flushed, finally letting go of his knees to clasp her hands together in her own lap, staring down at them. “We’re still… pretending to date, right? And… yeah okay we haven’t talked about it but the other night was…” Anna sighed and laughed, pushing her bangs back. “It was  _ really _ fun, right? Like that  _ worked _ …” 

She couldn’t bear to look up at him now. 

“Like if we already have to spend all of our time together and we’re both pent up - like obviously we’re both  _ really _ pent up - and it  _ helps _ with your game or whatever maybe we can just…” Anna finally took a breath before looking up at him. “Try… something casual? Because it was fun and…”

She couldn’t read his expression, until the tiniest quirk of a smile started pulling on the corner of his lip. 

“I mean,” she sighed, crossing her arms in front of her chest to practically hold herself together. “I don’t need any sort of… commitment, or anything… If you… want to…  _ I _ … wouldn’t mind… ”

He reached forward to slide a palm up her thigh and smirked. “I mean,  _ yeah _ , shit, if  _ you _ want to… How could I turn that offer down?”

And then he was kissing her, pulling her up into his lap, and the way his hands grabbed at every part of her was answer enough.

Maybe she was making a mistake… 

But  _ fuck _ , she’d make it a thousand times more if it meant she got to have him, even just for a little while.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Kristoff shows his fondness for children and Anna wants him to Nut With Purpose.

Kristoff couldn’t lie, the last month had probably been the best of his life. He had bounced back in the game and was playing better than he had in a  _ long _ time, he had an excuse to do all sort of touristy and cheesy things that he had denied himself in the past, and he had Anna, warm and generous and enthusiastic, burrowing under his skin most nights a week, filling in all the cracks he hadn’t realized were there.

She congratulated and comforted in a similar fashion, her mouth hot on his skin as she brought him to climax. Though sometimes he celebrated or mourned by taking her as rough as she was okay with, his teeth nipping at her creamy throat before his tongue soothed the ache. There was a fire between them that burned brighter with each encounter, raging wildly through their veins with no intention of cooling down.

He knew, each time he left her apartment and felt the small ache of loss in his chest, that this was quickly becoming something more than he was ready for, but he couldn’t risk losing her. Not now. Not when she kissed him with such ease, not when she looked so cute as she struggled to wrap her arms around him in all of his gear, and  _ definitely  _ not when she could fuck him within an inch of his life and still leave him begging for more.

He never stopped flirting with her. He couldn’t. Winks and smirks and kisses below the ear with something filthy whispered as he pulled away had become his norm. He wanted her  _ all  _ the time… and he  _ got _ her, whenever he wanted her. 

And Anna got him, whenever  _ she _ wanted  _ him _ .

This new easiness that came from near-constant release gave him a sort of laser focus he didn’t even know he was capable of. Sven teased him that that’s what  _ happens _ when you have sex after four years worth of dry spells. A newfound ability to not be distracted by how badly you want to fuck.

Kristoff punched him in the arm, but didn’t really disagree.

Today was the children’s event, where local children’s teams of mites, squirts, and pee-wees came out to play with the team and get some invaluable experience learning from professionals. It was undoubtedly Kristoff’s favorite event. He absolutely adored hanging out with the kids, letting them shoot pucks on him, and playing alongside the mini-goalies who all looked up at him with admiration in their eyes.

He wasn’t lying, about wanting a big family. 

Everytime he looked at them, he felt his heart clenching.

The media team was filming the event for their website, and Anna was running around doing some quick interviews with some of the players before the kids arrived. 

“Babe,” Kristoff hollered, quickly getting her attention. “C’mere.”

Her face lit up and she bit at her lip - he’d  _ never _ get tired of it - before she came over, camera in tow, and grinned up at him, “Yes, honey?”

Kristoff moved swiftly, scooping her up into his arms as she protested, giggles making her seem way less serious, before skating backwards on the ice, his lovely  _ girlfriend _ gripping his jersey, and the man with the camera jogging out onto the ice after them. “Let’s do some …  _ on-ice _ interviews, hm?”

And then he set her down to sit on top of his net, skating just out of her reach, knowing she wouldn’t  _ dare _ jump down in those heels. 

“You’ll regret this, Bjorgman.”

“I’m  _ sure _ I won’t.”

After a few of the teammates humored them and interviewed with her sitting on the net - each and  _ every _ one commenting on how nice it was that she was closer to their eye level now - Kristoff finally shooed them all away and kindly told the cameraman he didn’t need to film this next part, before wrapping his gloved hands around her back, pulling her closer to the edge of the net and pressing a firm kiss against her mouth. “I can not  _ wait _ to take you home tonight and -“

Anna cut him off with a hand over his lips and laughed, a blush rising high on her cheeks. “I’m mic’d!” 

Then Kristoff heard the meek voice of the cameraman hollering across the ice. “Yeah, she’s definitely mic’d.”

And then he leaned closer to where the tiny microphone sat and said “ _ and fuck your brains out _ ” anyway, causing Anna to shove him away and apologize profusely to the man who had to listen. 

“You’re awful.”

“But truthful.”

“So sorry again, Ryder,” Anna called as she turned off the mic pack and waved to the boy whose cheeks were slightly flushed as he tried to focus on getting some b-roll for the video.

“Yeah,” Anna could hear the sarcasm dripping from Kristoff’s lips as he ducked down to bury his nose against her neck. “So, so sorry.”

Kristoff could hear her shortened breaths and feel her quickened pulse beneath his mouth before her hands pushed up against his shoulders. “We’re at  _ work _ , Kris, you shouldn’t…” He sighed and pulled back, taking in her rosy cheeks and fond smile. “But…  _ later _ …”

Yes,  _ definitely _ later. It had been a few days, anyway. “My place? I’ll make you dinner.”

Anna  _ ooohed _ as she lifted her hands up to touch his cheeks. “I haven’t been to  _ your _ place…” and then she bit her lip and he felt his heart hammer against his ribcage. “But dinner? With  _ no _ publicity? Sounds like a  _ date _ .”

He hummed, bracing his hands on either side of her thighs. “Probably shouldn’t call it that.”

“Probably not…” She winked and ticked a finger under his chin. “Just fueling up for the … marathon.”

Kristoff couldn’t help the little snort that left his nose as she smiled wickedly. He moved quickly to scoop her up, one arm under her knees as he carried her back to the bench. “It’ll be a marathon, all right. 

Setting her down gently on the ice, Kristoff helped her hop up onto the platform of the floor outside the rink and felt the smile on his face widen as she pulled him forward by the collar and planted one more kiss against his cheek. 

“See you later,” she hummed before turning to head into the lobby, and Kristoff felt his knees weaken just a little beneath his weight.

—

-

—

The kids showed up a little early, so Anna spent some time learning all of their names and where they were from before they got to go out onto the ice. They ranged from six all the way to thirteen, and she could feel her uterus crying out as each of them shook her hand and bounced with excitement. 

Their coaches and parents took them to the locker room to get ready after the Ice Breakers had finished their meeting, and when they came back out, Anna couldn’t help but feel her eyes misting up at the sight of all these kids in full hockey gear. They were  _ too cute _ . 

She leaned over to get closer to eye level, and held out two thumbs up. “Are you guys ready to meet the boys?” They all giggled at the idea of big professional hockey players being called  _ boys _ , but all started clacking their sticks against the ground as substitution for applause. “Because I  _ know _ they’re ready to meet you guys.”

Mattias and Sven came up from the ice, gave them all a pep talk, and had everyone organize themselves by position, preparing to partner them up as best as they could. There was almost a one-to-one ratio, but a few of the players would take on two kids at once. Anna gave them all a wave before she headed back out to the bench, sitting and waiting for her next job, watching as Ryder moved around the ice with ease before he settled down to get a good shot of all the tots coming down the runway and onto the ice.

Sven came out first, his voice lowered and booming, and announced them as if they were coming out for a game. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment you’ve been waiting for…” The whole team started banging their sticks on the ice. “Your Miniiiii Iiiiiiice Breeeeakeeeers!!!!”

And they came running, all giggling and shaking their sticks in the air, a parade of excited children doing a lap around the ice as everyone applauded them. Then they lined up against the boards, and Sven skated down the line, telling them which player to go meet up with, grinning wickedly as he sent two towards Kristoff. 

Anna watched as one jumped up to hug him immediately, and she literally felt her stomach swoop in excitement. Oh Jesus she wished she could hear what he was saying as he swung the little girl around and smiled brightly up at her. Clearly there was a history there, and she could immediately see  _ why _ Kristoff wanted so badly to be a father.

He was a natural at it.

He let her go with a smack of his glove over her mask, and got down on one knee to greet the much younger and clearly nervous boy who stood beside them. Kristoff’s smile was bright and inviting as he spoke softly and after a few minutes, he stuck out his mitt, cheering as the little boy gave him a fist bump. 

They skated around for a bit, shot some pucks on Kristoff, let Kristoff shoot some pucks on them, and overall were seeming to have a great time. 

Anna knew she should have been  _ attempting _ to pay attention to other people as well, but she could not take her gaze away from Kristoff. And when he looked up and caught her staring, the soft smile that pulled at his cheeks stabbed her in the stomach.

There was no way in  _ hell _ he’d ever be like that scumbag of a father he had.

Never.

Eventually they had some of the kids skate over to her, and Anna did little interviews with each of them, asking them if they were having fun, what their favorite part of the game was, and who their favorite player was. They were all clearly getting a kick out of the feeling of being interviewed like a professional, and Anna absolutely fed into it, talking to the camera like she did during games as she dismissed each kid.

Finally, god _ finally, _ Kristoff came up with his kids, bumping them with his hips and skates as they approached, making them giggles as they tripped and moved to right themselves.

“Well hello,” Anna grinned, working hard to tear her eyes away from Kristoff. “What are your names?”

The girl jumped up immediately, grabbing onto the boards and pushing her little purple mask up over her head. “I’m Lily, and that’s Connor!”

“Hi Lily, and hello, Connor.” Anna shook both of their hands and held up the microphone. “Would either of you like to do a little interview?”

Lily, with her lightly dyed pink hair bouncing on her shoulders, could not have said yes faster, making Anna laugh as she reached for her microphone.

“Connor? Would you?”

He shook his head no before ducking behind Kristoff’s legs, and Anna smiled softly. “Well that’s all right. Lily will do all the talking then, right?”

Kristoff leaned down to Connor and grinned. “It’s okay, buddy, I don’t really like interviews either. Anna usually does most of the talking.”

She snorted before leaning over to Lily, tucking her hair back behind her ear. “All right, Lily. When did you start playing hockey?”

Her smile was wide and she grabbed eagerly at the mic, pulling it close to her mouth. “Krissy came to a program I was in when I was like five and he volunteered with us and he taught us how to skate and then he started teaching us hockey things and I”  _ deep breath _ , “thought it was really fun so I kept playing and he helped me a lot and now I got adopted and my mommy really loves that I have a passion so she let me keep playing and it’s”  _ another deep breath _ , “been four years and I still really love it and I’m so happy to be playing and it’s all thanks to Krissy!”

“Ah, jeez, Lilypad,” he pushed against her face with his mitt, her giggles muffled by the sequipment. “Don’t embarrass me.”

“Oh, no, no,” Anna grinned, her eyes flicking up to meet Kristoff’s. “Please tell me more about  _ Krissy _ .”

She watched with intrigue as his tongue ran against his bottom teeth under his lip, as if he was holding back from what he really wanted to say.

Yeah, she was going to  _ wreck _ him later. She had no more doubts about that.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is smut, mostly. There are some feelings at the end, though :^)

Anna never  _ said _ she had self control. So when Kristoff asked if she wanted to take one or both cars back to his house, she pretty immediately suggested they drive together in his truck. 

She waited patiently while he showered and gathered up his gear before emerging from the locker room, hair still damp and cheeks flushed, and she waited patiently while he gathered up his things and spoke with Mattias about the next game. But her patience was wearing thin as he fumbled for his keys in his duffel as she bounced on her toes, absolutely ready to be in the truck. 

“And men say  _ women _ have bags too large,” Anna snickered as she pulled a hair tie off of her wrist and spun it between her fingers for a moment. “Why would you put your keys in  _ there _ ?”

“You wanna drive?” He mumbled, placing his bag on top of the hood as he dug deeper, frustration clearly etching into his features. He didn’t notice Anna pull the band between her teeth before gathering her hair up into a large messy bun on top of her head. 

“ _ No _ ,” she hummed, tying it off, and dropping her hands back behind her, clasping them together as innocently as she could. 

“Then  _ stop _ — a-ha! found them!” He pulled them out of the back triumphantly, a grin wide on his face. But he paused for a second, tilting his head slightly to the side. “You put your hair up.”

Scrunching her lips to the side, Anna averted her gaze for just a moment. “I did.”

“Looks nice.” Then he shrugged and unlocked the truck, smiling as Anna scrambled into it while he threw his equipment into the bed.

She took a quick moment to undo the top few buttons of her blouse, pinch at her lips before running her tongue over them, hoping to make her mouth look more plush, and then sat up straight as Kristoff opened his door and climbed in, narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously. “... You’re up to something, aren’t you?”

Anna pulled her bottom lip up between her teeth and smiled, rolling her eyes. “Of course not.” But then she leaned across the seats, sliding her fingers through his hair and kissed him, deep and slow, tongue teasing him as he reached out to touch her. His hands were eager, one resting on her neck as the other reached to touch at the swell of her breast, newly exposed by her lowered neckline, and Anna sighed with content as he let out a small moan when she pulled away. 

Her mouth found his throat, pressing two hot kisses against it before she dropped her hand to his thigh, fingertips brushing against his hardening cock. Anna lifted up slightly, her lips feather light against his as she whispered “ _ Just drive _ .”

The height of his truck gave her confidence, knowing that it was unlikely anyone would  _ see _ them. She leaned back as Kristoff started the truck, smirking at the sight of his shorts tenting in his lap. She turned herself to a more comfortable position in the truck, leaned forward, and started rubbing him through the fabric.

A happy sigh escaped her lips as she pulled the waistband over him, revealing exactly what she had been looking for. “ _ God _ , I’m so lucky you have this,” she laughed, tongue darting out over her lips before she reached out to stroke him once, slowly,  _ agonizingly _ slowly. “Best dick I’ve  _ ever _ sucked.”

“Jesus  _ Christ,  _ Anna…” his voice was tense and she glanced up to see his jaw working and his knuckles white from his grip on the steering wheel. “ _ Please _ .”

Well, since he said  _ please _ …

Her soft tongue teased him, a small circle around the tip as she savored the taste of him. Then a bigger one, a long lick up the entire length of him, and then she lowered herself slowly, her lips circling the girth of him as she took as much of him as she could. A string of curses were whispered above her head, as his right hand dug fingers into her scalp. 

Anna wanted this to last, wanted to make sure he was practically begging for release by the time they got to his house, and wanted him to be more satisfied than ever. So she took her time, teasing, bobbing slowly, lifting her mouth off of him and giving gentle strokes with her fingers. The drive to his house wasn’t long, but the grip of his hand in her hair tightening told her he was sick of her teasing. 

“We — we’re…” his speech was broken as she sucked him, sliding up and down the length of him with ease. “A...almost there, Anna…”

_ Perfect _ .

She sped up her ministrations, hollowing her cheeks as she slid up to his head, teasing with her tongue at the slit of him, running the flat side of it back down his length as she worked her way downwards. 

“ _ Fuck, Jesus…”  _

That was a good sign, and she sound of him pulling off the road, pressing a clicker to open what sounded like gates, before stopping the car and squeezing his fingers tightly against his skull was even better. 

“We’re here... I’m—” 

He groaned when she nodded, sucking hard and faster, one hand embracing the bit of him she couldn’t reach with her lips as her other cupped his sac, playing gently with his sensitive skin. And then his fingers were drumming hard against the steering wheel, his hips thrusting slightly up into her mouth, and he tried  _ so  _ hard to give her the option of not taking his release on her tongue, but Anna stayed where she was, encouraging as ever.

And he came, his hot cum spilling over her tongue, Anna swallowing it with as much enthusiasm as she had during everything. She sucked him through his orgasm, cleaning off any remainder of mess left on his skin. And when she rose back up, wiping off the tiny bit of him she felt on the corner of her lips, Kristoff reached across the truck, practically pulling her into his lap as he kissed her, hard and wild, breathless as ever.

“What was  _ that _ for?” He was panting, breathless and flushed as he pulled back and let his eyes dance across her face.

Anna smiled, running a palm down his now scratchy cheek. “It was… an appetizer.”

He groaned and laughed, his head dropping back against the headrest behind him. “Well… then you’ll have to be dessert.”

—

“So,” Anna hummed, leaning over the table and reaching for his hand. “You’re talented, funny, hot, kind, good with kids, fucking amazing at sex,  _ and _ you can cook?” She rolled her eyes and propped her chin in her hand. “What  _ can’t _ you do?”

Kristoff’s cheeks flushed but he laughed her off, letting go of her hand as he moved to clear off the table. “Ah, don’t think too highly of me, seriously.” 

She leaned back in her chair with a grin. “Why not? You’re the whole package. What a shame you’re not willing to settle down.”

The way his back tensed told her she had said the wrong thing and she stood quickly. “No, I, um.” Anna fumbled to grab the rest of the dishes and came up beside him at the sink. “I didn’t mean… I just… you really are an ideal guy, Kris.” And she would give anything for him to settle down with  _ her _ ... “But I… I’m not  _ saying _ —“

He sighed and reached over to grab the glasses from her hands. “I  _ know _ …”

Anna bit at her lip before wrapping her arms around his bicep and rubbing a gentle hand against his shirt. “Do… you want to watch something?” She grinned up at him and shrugged. “Or …  _ not  _ watch something.”

His laughter eased her worries, and he touched gently at her hand on his arm. “Anna… are you  _ sure _ you’re still…” he paused, turned to face her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. “You’re still okay with  _ this _ , right? This arrangement? Because if you’re  _ not  _ —“

“I am!” Her cheeks darkened as she answered far too quickly. “I  _ am _ . Are you?”

“ _ Yes _ .”

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her, sliding her lips over his. “ _ Good _ ,” she mumbled, giggling when his arms circled around her waist and lifted her up onto the counter, settling her knees on either side of his hips. 

His mouth trailed across her skin, settling for far too little time behind her ear before he found her throat, kissing and sucking at the fragile skin there. Anna could  _ feel _ the mark he was leaving, knew he was being too rough on her, but didn’t care in the slightest as his hands trailed down her waist, her hips, her thighs, sneaking up under the hem of her skirt. When his fingers reached her center, brushing lightly over her damp panties, Anna sighed. 

Kristoff only smirked as he got down on his knees. He kissed his way up her thighs, now bruising intentionally as she swung her legs over his shoulders, using his body as leverage to push her bottom off the countertop when he moved to pull her panties down. “Should we… go to the bedroom?”

He shook his head, nipping the skin right beside her core. “I prefer to eat in the kitchen.” 

Then he dove in, feasting on her as if he had been starving. 

Anna saw stars for the first time in her life.

—

They sat together on his couch, Anna curled up against his side as he ran his thumb gently up and down her shoulder. After bringing her to her climax twice with his mouth, all she had wanted to do was relax and rest for a little while. Kristoff had smiled and said  _ of course _ , wiping at the remnants of her on his chin, before kissing her softly and carrying her to the other room.

An hour was spent watching whatever he happened to flip to, as they both wound down from their busy day. But it was getting late, and Anna really didn’t feel like driving home, and she let herself  _ dare _ to wonder if…

“It’s getting late,” she hummed, turning her head on his shoulder to look up at his face. “So…”

He smiled, nodding. “You want me to drive you home or back to the rink to get your car?”

_ Oh. _

She tried to ignore the ache in her chest. He had never stayed at her apartment, and she shouldn’t have been surprised at this response, but she still lost her breath for just a moment. Anna had almost thought that he was inviting her to his home for a  _ reason _ . But she had to remind herself that… it  _ really _ wasn’t real, then.

She had said she was still all right with this arrangement. And she  _ was _ …

_ Mostly. _

“Oh. I guess…” she sat up, letting go of him, and moved to stand. “I guess I need my car. So…”

“Yeah,” he stood as well, heading to the doorway to grab his shoes. “No problem.”

“I just need to pee, first.” He nodded and went to the kitchen to start on some dishes as she headed back to the bathroom. She wasn’t going to  _ cry  _ about this. She definitely wasn’t. 

And when she braced her hands on the bathroom sink and stared at herself in the mirror, willing the tiny shine of tears in her eyes to go away, she almost made it happen.

She knew what she signed up for, and she knew that she could handle it. 

But one moment of weakness was okay, right?


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If u read one in the five hole u know about this bear..... :^)

Kristoff fiddled with the gift in his hands, twisting the ribbon hanging from the top of the bag in between his fingers. Was this too much? Was this breaking some sort of unspoken rule for the type of relationship they had? No gifts, or something like that? But it was cute and he thought she would like it and he… selfishly wanted her to be thinking of him for the eight days he was gone during this road trip.

He sighed and squeezed it slightly before tucking it up into his cubby.

“What’s that?” Sven slid down the bench to Kristoff, grinning widely from ear to ear. “Little, uh, present for your buddy?”

Kristoff rolled his eyes and shrugged out of his sweatshirt. “It’s for Anna, yeah.”

“So…” Sven tapped his toes against the floor, leaning back to look up at Kristoff. “When are you going to like,  _ really _ lock that down?”

“What?”

“C’mon, dude.”

Kristoff paused, tapping his fingers against the wood of the cubby. He wasn’t really in the mood to think too hard about his feelings and did his best to shrug off his friend. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

A scoff. “Please.”

Eyes narrowed, Kristoff turned to face Sven. “Just  _ say _ it.”

“You’re playing better than ever, you’re pretty chill for once, and like,” Sven ran fingers through his hair before standing up and meeting Kristoff eye to eye. “You’re  _ smiling _ . Like.  _ All _ the time. Clearly she makes you happy, man. So…” He shrugged and patted Kristoff’s shoulder. “Why aren’t you… doing something about it?”

Kristoff blinked before averting his gaze. Of  _ course _ she made him happy. Even his dumb ass could admit that. “I… can’t. I just…” Anna was too perfect. What if he ruined it? What if he took something so  _ good  _ and ruined it because he had to let his feelings get in the way. What if she didn’t feel the same? What if she wanted children right away? What if all of his own hang ups ruined it all later? He couldn’t handle  _ that _ .

“You’re stupid, Kris. Seriously.”

Kristoff shrugged and nodded, silently agreeing before continuing to get himself prepared for the game tonight. “Can you… can you tell Anna to ask me about the road trip, during my last interview with her tonight? I just… think this should be a publicity thing, right?”

Sven shrugged and sighed, shaking his head as he turned to leave. “Sure, no problem.”

Kristoff felt a heavy weight drop into his stomach.

He knew he could… 

He shook his head and grabbed the gift, heading to stash it below where Anna normally sat during games. This would go over really well and he  _ knew _ she’d love it, and… That’s what mattered. She would love it.

The game went smoothly. It was a fairly easy one, all things considered, and they won over Buffalo 4-2. He was excited to give the gift to her, and couldn’t stop glancing over at the bench, hoping she wouldn’t find it prematurely. He wanted to see her face when she opened it. The final buzzer rang, they did their  _ good-game _ handshakes, and he immediately skated over to Anna, smiling wide.

“Hey,” he started, pushing his mask up on his head, grinning as the camera turned to him.

“Hi,” Anna smiled back, reaching forward to give his arm a gentle squeeze. “You guys had such a good game out there today. Really felt like you were all in sync.”

Kristoff grinned through the interview, waiting for her last question. Sven had promised he told her to ask about it, and Sven always kept his promises. He talked briefly about how well the team was meshing, how they kept Buffalo out of their zone as much as possible, and how he was feeling sturdy in the net, playing down Buffalo’s two goals to lucky bounces.

Anna laughed and pressed a hand against his shoulder. “And now you’ve got this long stretch of traveling coming up… A hard set of teams, yeah, with New York, Philly, Washington…? How are you feeling going into it?”

“Oh, I think it’ll be fine. We’re playing well and holding our own out there… but,” he stuttered, his cheeks going red. “Honestly, I think the hardest part of road trips is… not seeing the people back home for long stretches. You… miss them.”

He watched her lashes flutter as she searched his eyes, not sure where this was headed. “I, um, put a gift for you, under your chair. In case you missed me.”

Pure excitement washed over her features as she bit her lip to try and hold back her smile. “Oh?” And then she turned and snatched the bag up with no hesitation, pushed back the tissue paper to reveal a big brown teddy bear dressed up in Ice Breakers gear. 

He watched her face drop, just slightly, and felt panic rising in his throat. 

“Do… do you like it?”

Chin quivering just a little, Anna looked up at him, smiled and nodded, before throwing her arms around his neck, the teddy grasped firmly in her left hand. “I  _ really _ do,” she mumbled, pressing her nose into his neck. “Thank you.”

He ignored the  _ aww _ s and applause that came from the fans who stuck around to watch the final interviews, and lifted her up with ease over the barrier of the bench, grinning as she yelped in surprise. Placing his arm under her legs, he hoisted her up to a bridal style grip, smiling wide as she said her sign off to the camera, and skated them down towards the runway.

And as soon as they were out of sight of prying eyes, Kristoff set her down and ran his hands down her upper arms. “I’m sorry. I should have asked if you were okay with that… I just thought you’d like it and I couldn’t wait to give it to you and then I als—“

She cut him off with fingers tangling in his jersey and a hard tug to bring him down to meet her lips. 

A soft, chaste kiss, and he felt all of the tension leave his body.

“I  _ love _ it,” she whispered against his lips. “I really,  _ really _ do.”

He kissed her again. 

—

-

—

It had been almost a week since she saw Kristoff, and Anna felt snippy and frustrated and  _ sad _ . He had kissed her like he didn’t want to leave, but that was  _ ridiculous _ because he didn’t like her  _ like that _ . Anna had to pull it together. 

She sat in her bed, glaring at the stupid teddy bear that sat on the end of it, smiling up at her in mockery. Did he really do all of this just for publicity? It was clearly a more expensive bear, and all of the clothing for it had to have cost a pretty penny. But he  _ was _ a professional athlete and she was sure money didn’t mean much to him these days… But…

It was  _ perfect _ and Anna felt her heart racing under her ribs.

She checked her watch and sighed. It was late and she felt bad, but he was probably back at the hotel by now, and Anna  _ had _ to know.

Pulling up his name, she pressed the button to start a video call, and then she waited.

He answered on the second ring. “Hell-“

“Why did you buy me the bear?” Straight to the point.

He blinked in confusion, rubbing at his eye and setting his phone down. “Hi to you, too?”

Anna grabbed a pillow and set it in her lap, giving her something to hold on to as she felt her emotions raging wildly behind her eyes. “Hi. Why did you give me the stupid bear?”

She watched as he cocked an eyebrow and got even more angry at how cute he looked when he was amused by her temper. “So… you  _ don’t _ like it?”

“No!” Anna threw her hands up over her head. “No, I  _ love _ it! It’s perfect!”

“Then why are you yelling at me!”

“Because!” Her voice was louder, and she knew she had to reel it in before he stopped finding it funny and actually got mad at her. “Because,” she sighed, leaning back with a pout. “You’re not supposed to do these nice things for me.”

Kristoff rolled his eyes and sighed, leaning back in the chair he had sat in as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I thought you’d like it.”

“I  _ do _ . That’s what’s…” She sighed and reached forward to grab the bear, trying not to flush as she crawled over the phone and gave him a clear view of whatever he could see through her thin pajamas. “Was this,” she squeezed the bear between her fingers as she sat back, frowning. “Was this  _ just _ for publicity? Or do you  _ actually _ like me?”

Groaning, he ran his hands through his hair like he always did when he got nervous, and Anna felt a tiny bit of hope rise in her chest. “... What do you want me to say here, Anna?”

“... The truth?”

He clasped his fingers together behind his neck and sighed. “No, it wasn’t just for publicity.”

Anna felt her shoulders drop and sighed, wrapping her arms around the teddy bear and pulling it closer to her chest. “... Okay.”

“But I still don’t-“

“I know, Kristoff.” But her heart was singing. “I  _ know _ .”

They sat in silence for a moment, both red-faced and nervous. Kristoff moved quietly, getting up and heading over to the hotel bed, humming as he got settled. “So… any other reason you called?” He rested his phone on his nightstand, and laid down on his side to look at her.

Anna rolled her eyes and settled back against her pillows, trying to match his comfortable position without moving too much. “Is it too relationship-y to say I missed you?” She bit at her bottom lip and hugged the teddy tighter.

He laughed, but shrugged. “Yeah, probably.” But he was warm and flushed as he continued to look at her through the screen.

“Well then I definitely didn’t miss you.” Oh, she _ did _ . “Or your stupid face.”

He chuckled, pressing a hand flat under his cheek, and smiled softly at her. “I definitely didn’t miss you, either. Or your not-at-all adorable freckles.”

They talked, and they talked, and they talked, and the next thing Anna knew, she was waking up and it was morning, and the phone had died on the bed beside her.

When she finally got it on, there were two texts from Krisotff.

_ Goodnight, Anna. I think your phone died, but you were asleep anyway. Can’t wait to see you next week. _

_ P.S. you snore. _

Anna had never felt more content. 


	23. Chapter 23

_ I can’t wait for you to see this dress. _

_ I may or may not have gone all in.  _

_ It’s… it might be too much.  _

_ I have a backup. Just… let me know when you get here! _

Kristoff shrugged his jacket back on as he moved to get out of his truck, grumbling to no one about how much he hated this outfit. It was stiffer than last year’s loose fitting shirts, and itchier, and definitely more of a hassle to get on. Why did he have to wear an undershirt  _ and _ a vest  _ and  _ a bowtie  _ and _ a jacket? Not to mention the pocket square they had so carefully folded up and the fedora he had left on the seat of his cab. This was so much work, and while the event was wonderful and worth it, he was just  _ so _ uncomfortable. 

Their director had gone all out this year - being that it was approaching the new year, she wanted to embrace the roaring twenties - so she had chosen a Gatsby theme for the charity event. Luckily men’s fashion hadn’t changed too drastically, but his hair was slicked back in a way he wasn’t used to and he struggled not to run his fingers through it.

Anna had been excited. She asked if he could wear a green undershirt and pocket square, and the person who was putting together their outfits didn’t seem to have any objection - It went well with the multiple shades of tan in his suit and the buttons anyway. She said she had found something that was on theme enough but still fun, and while Kristoff wasn’t sure he knew what she meant, she had seemed thrilled by it. 

He dusted off his pants, straightened his bowtie and headed for the short stairs that led up to her second story apartment. The limo would be here in about twenty minutes, and even though Anna  _ swore _ she’d be ready on time, he felt a gut need to go check on her. It only took a moment after he rapped two short knocks against her door for it to swing open and for him to get a full view of her. 

It took longer for him to process it.

She wore a dark forest green gown with so much intricate gold beading that he was afraid it would fall apart if he touched her. A simple plunging neckline only supported by two thin straps was complemented by curves and lines of decoration along the bodice that almost made it look like the sun was rising on her dress. It all narrowed down to a point on her waist, where the skirts puffed out to move airily around her hips, thin lines of more beading running all the way to the floor.

_ “Jesus,  _ Anna,” he breathed, his mouth dry as she smiled at him.

Anna stepped back from the door, pressing her hands against the skirts to make them dance around her legs. He could’ve sworn he saw a peek of her creamy thigh high up in the masses of fabric.

“Do you like it?” And then she spun, and he saw the back, cut low and sitting just above the swell of her bottom, all her freckles and beautiful, soft skin teasing him with every pass. “I thought maybe it might be too much so I got a simpler one and —“

She jumped slightly when he shut the door, his eyes raking up the length of her to settle on her face, lips, dark and sultry below a more natural eyeshadow, her hair in flat waves and pinned up in something he could never have even imagined. It almost looked as if she cut it. He could tell she was holding back a smile - he knew she could  _ see _ the lust he could feel burning through his veins.

He stepped forward, reaching out a needy hand to find her waist, fingers twitching as they brushed up against the rarely exposed skin. “You’re going to kill me.” And he pulled her closer, gently still, his other hand rising to cup her cheek as he lowered his head down to meet her.

Only to be stopped by her little fingers pressing against his mouth. “You can’t ruin my lipstick.” Then she grinned. “Yet.”

Kristoff laughed once at the frustration that sat heavy in his belly, groaning as his palm slid lower, thumb wrapping ever so lightly around her throat as he pushed her head back to stretch out her neck, exposing more skin for his mouth to find. He placed warm, wet kisses against her, grinning as he felt her swallow against his hand and his lips.

“I barely,” Anna sighed, her hands sliding up to grip at his lapels. “Covered the marks already there…” Her voice was quiet, as if she was saying this with regret. “Y-you can’t… not right now…” 

She wasn’t going to let him have  _ anything _ , was she? He tightened his hold around her waist and lifted his head to look at her again. When he could barely see the blue of her irises, Kristoff knew she was fighting the urge as much as he was. He shook his head. There was a part of him that was secretly thrilled that she let him take her this way - that she let him leave his mark on her. In fact, that tiny piece of him  _ wanted _ people to see, wanted everyone to know she was  _ his _ and that he wasn’t planning on letting anyone else get a taste of her - not as long as she let him keep her, not as long as she was okay with their arrangement.

“My father and sister will be there…”

Okay, he didn’t necessarily want  _ them _ to see.

“ _ Later _ .”

Kristoff groaned and let go of her, sighing as he let his blunt nails drag across the skin of her back, fingers scraping carefully over the small strap as they left her throat, and the promise of an after-gala rendezvous sending a shiver down the back of his neck. “Are you ready?”

When she nodded he noticed the jewels resting around her head, twisting through her hair in a way he couldn’t even comprehend. He needed to remember to look closer when they had more time, but soon his phone was buzzing with an alert from the limousine company, telling them that their ride had arrived. “Do you have a jacket?”

“Oh!” As if it wasn’t late December, Anna scurried back to her closet, reaching into the depths and pulling out a short white fur coat, grinning wide as she wrapped it around herself. “Don’t worry, it’s fake.” 

He couldn’t help but laugh as she moved closer to him again, her heels clicking on the wood floor of her apartment as she grabbed a small gold clutch and gestured to the door, following behind him and locking up. They hardly made it to the bottom step before they heard the familiar voice of the Ice Breakers’ captain hollering. “Let’s go already!”

Anna snuck her hand around his elbow, resting it firmly in the crook of his arm before she gasped, and stepped back. “Your hat?”

“Hurry up!” 

Kristoff waved an annoyed hand at his best friend before running over to his truck, grabbing it quickly, then returning right to the side of his beautiful,  _ beautiful  _ date for the evening as he settled it on top of his head. “There, all set.”

“Perfect.”

He felt on his own face what he saw mirrored on hers - a gentle smile growing wider as eyes softened and shoulders dropped and fondness practically radiated off of them. He would have said screw the event if it meant he could take her right back upstairs and spend the entire evening showing her how beautiful she was. 

The only thing that brought him back was the sound of a door opening, metal clanging against pavement, and an irritated hockey player screaming “if you two don’t stop eye fucking right now, we’re going to  _ leave  _ you here!”

Kristoff turned quickly, glaring at Sven. “God, why did they think it was a good idea to give  _ you  _ a  _ cane _ ?”

Sven grinned and winked, climbing back into the limo before Kristoff grabbed at Anna’s hand and guided her carefully to the vehicle. It was a slight challenge to maneuver her skirt into it, but when they finally settled, she seemed startled as she looked across the way. 

“Oh, hello.” He watched her gaze jump from him, to Sven, and to the blonde sitting on the other side of the limo. “Um…”

The blonde leaned across the way and smiled, a hand outstretched. “Oh, hi! Anna, right? I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Jelissa. Sven’s fiancée.”

Kristoff watched Anna’s whole body tense with shock. “I’m sorry… what?”

Jelissa laughed as Anna shook her hand tentatively, her eyebrows lowering in frustration at both of the boys in the car. “Why am I not surprised that he wouldn’t tell a pretty girl about me?”

Anna flushed and held her hands up in defense. “No! Oh my gosh no, no —“

“Baby she doesn’t know you’re teasing.”

Kristoff watched as Sven draped an arm around her shoulders, placing a kiss against the bottom of her jaw as she laughed at him again, her curvy legs crossing at the ankle. He couldn’t deny that she was gorgeous, but the anxious touch of the woman at his side mattered more to him than anything else in the world. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his side.

“So,” Anna smiled, relaxing into him. “How long have you been together? I can’t believe Sven hasn’t told me about you! I would be  _ furious _ !”

Sven rolled his eyes and tapped the floor with that stupid cane again. “Oh, this bombshell and me have been kickin it together since the ripe old age of thirteen. Don’t know how she’s put up with me so long.”

Leaning forward just slightly, Jelissa’s smile turned wicked. “It’s the ass.”

Anna snickered and nodded in agreement.

“Shush, shush. She spends  _ most  _ of her time -“

“ _ Half _ , babe.”

“ _ \- Half- _ ” Kristoff didn’t miss the air quotes. “-of her time in Jolly Ol’ England, and the other half traveling around the states. Being all important and stuff. So I’m  _ denied _ her presence most of the year.” Sven reached over to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his smile softening as he looked at her.

Kristoff felt the start of something bubbling in his stomach. He couldn’t place it.

“But she’s always here for Christmas and New Years and the All-Star break, and I spend my time off traveling with her.”

Anna’s hand had risen to rest on his chest, tucking small fingers under the collar of his jacket. He felt her sigh against his side. “That’s so lovely, wow.” 

And then Jelissa smacked at Sven’s cheek, an action Kristoff had become all too familiar with since knowing his best friend, and rolled her eyes before looking back at Anna. “And he still forgets to mention me. Isn’t that nice?”

“Baby.” He was whining now, a pout evident on his lips. “You know I love you more than anything.”

As they continued to bicker, Sven’s fiancée tapping teasingly at his nose as he begged for forgiveness, Kristoff couldn’t help but tilt his head down to look at Anna, and was only slightly surprised to see her looking back up at him.

_ We could be like that too, you know _ . 

He felt like he could hear her thoughts in his head. 

He knew.

Kristoff leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead, his hand around her shoulder pulling her impossibly closer. 

He could fall in love with her so  _ easily _ , if he let himself.

Anna’s arm dropped from his collar to rest around his waist, her fingers fiddling with the hem of his jacket as they all continued to carry on their conversation. He pressed his cheek against her head, grinning as Sven poked his thigh with the cane.

He  _ knew _ .

And that frightened him. 


	24. Chapter 24

The ride over had been quick, which Kristoff had been relatively thankful for. The way Anna had shifted had revealed a long, high slit in the skirts of her dress, stopping only inches below the apex of her leg and pelvis, her pale skin a glaring contrast against her dark dress. It wasn’t  _ enough _ to say that it was a major distraction. 

She had kept adjusting it as she leaned across the car to continue a conversation with Jelissa, but Sven clearly hadn’t missed how Kristoff’s eyes kept darting down to the freckles dotting her thigh. The shit-eating grin that had stretched on his lips only served to piss Kristoff off. He knew he wasn’t going to stop hearing about this tonight.

But  _ fuck _ he couldn’t stop thinking about slipping his hand under all the layers of skirts and touching her gently, savoring the feel of her soft skin before finding her center and bringing her over the edge with his fingers. It would be  _ so easy _ …

He sighed as the limo pulled up outside the arena, waiting in line behind other cars to let their riders out on a red carpet, rolled out long and decorated with thousands of lights. A marquee was secured above the entrance, blocking out the usual signage, reading simply  _ The Roaring Twenties _ .

He supposed they used all their creativity up in designing the theme. 

But he couldn’t lie that he felt himself getting just slightly more excited now that they were here. He watched through the window as some attendees and players walked up the carpet, their photos being taken as they headed inside, and couldn’t wait to escort Anna down the walkway. He knew all eyes would be on her, glowing and beautiful as her dress sparkled while she walked, and he didn’t mind one bit that he was simply an arm to show her off. She deserved to feel like a princess, and he was happy to be her escort.

When they were next in line, Anna and Jelissa made an effort to check one another over, making sure there were no makeup or hair mishaps, and then both turned to face their respective partners. Kristoff couldn’t help but smile as Anna’s knees bumped into his. 

She lifted her hands to straighten Kristoff’s bow tie and he felt his whole face flush. “Hey,” she smiled, resting flat palms on his chest, just like she had on their first night out, and Kristoff prayed she couldn’t feel his heart racing beneath them. “I know I’m probably not going to see too much of you once we’re in there…” Her palm came up to his cheek, pressing gently against it. “I didn’t want to forget to tell you how handsome you look. Like…seriously, you should wear more bold suits more often.”

He couldn’t stop the toothy smile that took over his face.

His hands found her wrists, and lowered her hand before cupping them between his, and placed a tender kiss against her fingers. “Come find me whenever. I can leave for a bit. Sven won’t mind, I’m sure.”

Sven rolled his eyes but agreed as their driver stopped the car and stepped out to come around and open their door. He stepped out first, giving his hand to Jelissa as she adjusted the long train of her gown around her legs. His suit was white with blush pink accents and she wore pinks and golds to complement, and even Kristoff couldn’t deny that they looked perfect together. His fedora sat perfectly atop his curls and she had her hair done in a way that it fell over her shoulder in a waterfall of waves. 

The driver peeked in and gestured for them to exit too. 

Kristoff did his best to exit the car in a seemingly effortless way, but his large size always seemed to complicate it. Holding his hat to his head as he stepped out, Kristoff tried to ignore the flashing lights as he reached a hand back down for Anna.

She twisted perfectly, the slit of her dress showing off her skin and heels as they touched the ground with more grace than he could ever hope to have. It only took a moment for him to remember that she was from a wealthy family and there was a decent chance she had done events like these before. But when she stood up, her skirt billowing around her as she reached for his arm, Kristoff didn’t seem to care at all that she was miles out of his league.

Anna was here with him. And for now, she was  _ his _ . 

He couldn’t help himself as they approached the end of the carpet. He spun her twice, admiring the smile on her face, and bowed at the waist as he stepped over the threshold, his hand out and ready for her when she skipped the last few steps forward. She followed him through the door, both of her hands resting in his as he stood back up, soft smiles gracing both of their lips. 

“Anna… You-“

“Anna!” Honeymaren came darting up, grabbing her hands out of his, and urged her to follow, the smallest wave of a hello and a goodbye the only thing letting him know that Honey had even  _ noticed _ him.

Anna waved over her shoulder as she was pulled away, he assumed to get on with some of the recording for IBTV, and Kristoff let out a heavy sigh before another hand clapped down on his shoulder. 

“You ready?” Sven grinned, squeezing once. 

“As I’ll ever be.”

Part of the fun of the event was the gambling - every attendee was given fifty dollars of chips to start, and the more they played, the more the team hoped would sell and therefore be donated to the charity. And since the players were the dealers, it was always popular.

Kristoff and Sven got lucky enough to work the blackjack tables, and they  _ always _ had lines.

The arena was fully transformed.

The whole right half was now a casino - there were about ten blackjack tables, six for poker, and two for roulette. A few other games sat around the edges, manned by some of the newer players, some spinning wheels with random prizes that cost chips to enter, and even a few unmanned slot machines. A few of the guys were at the auction tables, a few serving drinks, and then a couple more even behind the bar. It was an all-in experience where fans could be close to the players and get to know them a bit better while doing some good and giving back to charity. 

And, as always, there were copious amounts of alcohol. 

Through the night the guys worked one shift, getting half of the night to work and the other half to play - and Kristoff was ecstatic to be on the first shift. That meant he had the whole back half of the evening to have fun with his friends and drink a little and maybe even sweep his gorgeous girl off her feet and, if he had  _ enough _ to drink, bring her to the dance floor and see how she could  _ move _ .

The night was speeding by and before he knew it, his shift was done - He hadn’t even had a minute to be sad about not seeing Anna while he was working before Nieminen was tapping him on the shoulder and letting him know he was free to go. It was clear that his backup goalie was a little tipsy, but it was all part of the fun.

He thanked his last patron, grinned at Sven, and ran to find Anna the second he left his seat.

—

-

—

Anna waved over her shoulder as Honeymaren  _ literally _ dragged her to the back room to get her set up for the opening shots for IBTV. It was a whirlwind as she was escorted around the room with a camera in her face, interviewing attendees and players and directors about how this night had come to be. They shoved a drink in her hand, told her to pretend to drink it and talk up the specialty cocktails before leading her back to the front entrance and having her record a quick introduction and conclusion to the video. 

As worn out as she already was, she was glad that she only had to participate in this for a short while. Then she would be able to spend the rest of her night  _ actually _ drinking and having fun with her friends.

She heard him before she saw him. Just as they were wrapping up the video’s outro, Anna stood up straighter at the sound of her fathers’ voice booming over the music and practically traveling directly to her. She looked up, meeting his eyes briefly before she smiled and headed his way. He was finishing up a quick questionnaire with Gerda as she approached, and he nodded down at her when she got close enough to hug him. 

“Hi papa.”

It only hit her then that she hadn’t seen him in months. It hadn’t felt that long.

“Where are mama and Elsa?”

He scoffed, and Anna was immediately reminded why it  _ had _ felt that way. 

“I assume your mother went straight for the bar. Elsa… I’m not sure.” He looked around, his eyes narrowed as Anna bit her lip slightly and stepped back, her own dropping to the ground between them. She knew this wasn’t his scene and she was proud he had shown up, but the suspicious expression that was taking over his features had her nervous and biting at her lip. 

Then she heard her name from a familiar voice, and felt her whole body relax. 

Elsa was coming towards them, a smile on her face, and an icy-blue gown hanging low on her shoulders and trailing on the ground behind her. Anna practically ran at her sister, enveloping her in a hug. “It’s  _ so _ good to see you, Elsa.”

Immediately her father disappeared, and Anna was almost  _ relieved _ .

“So,” her sister started, a teasing tone in her words. “Where is this  _ boy toy _ of yours? It only feels right that I meet him.”

Anna laughed and shoved her sister’s shoulder before looking around for the time, missing Elsa’s eyes glancing up behind her. It was already almost half-way through the event. “Oh, he should be done any minute now!” 

As if on cue, Anna felt a pair of hands wrap around her shoulders, and a warm mouth press against the back of her neck, making her flush from the chest up. 

Elsa smiled knowingly. 

“Kristoff,” Anna sighed, wiggling under his grip just enough to get his attention. “This is Elsa.” She paused to wait for a reaction but wrapped her fingers around his wrist when he gave no sign of caring. “My  _ sister _ .”

_ That _ got his attention.

“ _ Oh _ ,” he started, standing up straighter and moving his palms to rest on Anna’s bare shoulders. “I’m sorry, um, hi.” He reached out with his right hand and let out one awkward laugh when Elsa shook his hand around Anna’s body. “It’s… nice to meet you.”

Anna blushed deeper as Elsa cocked an eyebrow as her eyes moved up and down the pair, as if trying to make something add up. “Yes, Kristoff, I’ve heard…  _ so _ much about you.” And  _ deeper still. _

It wasn’t like Anna had disclosed the size of his cock to her sister, but she was sure she had spilled more details than Kristoff would really want her  _ sister _ knowing. And she was  _ positive _ that Elsa wasn’t able to stop those facts from flooding her head again as she looked at the pair of them. It wasn’t like it was a  _ secret _ that she was tiny next to him, and one could rightfully  _ assum _ e...

“I’m,” hummed, stepping out to stand beside the both of them. “I’m getting a drink. Anna… a cosmo, right? Elsa, would you like anything?”

Elsa smiled and asked for just a vodka tonic, and Anna let out a happy sigh as he pressed a kiss against her cheek before trotting off to the bar. 

And then she felt Elsa’s eyes lock onto her. “I can see why you’re… interested in him.” She winked. “He’s cute. And… larger than I expected.”

Anna rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, shrugging. “Goalie gear, right? You never know what’s… below it.”

Elsa snickered beneath her hand.

“Shut up.”

It was only a short moment before he came back with their drinks in hand, seeming to be concentrating hard on not spilling them as he made his way through the dark room. He gave Elsa’s hers as smoothly as possible before gripping Anna’s by the bottom of the stem “Here, baby,” he grinned as she took the glass from his fingers. 

He had never called her baby before. Anna felt her heart skip into her throat before she pressed a nervous palm to his cheek. “Thank you, honey.” 

She swore she saw something new glimmer behind his eyes before he ducked down to kiss her, his now free arm snaking around her waist as his other hand rose to the back of her head. This was  _ different _ . She couldn’t figure out  _ why _ , but it was, as his lips moved against hers softly and slowly, not rushing, not pushing, just…  _ savoring _ .

And then Elsa coughed from beside them, causing him to pull away so quickly she thought she might have been on fire. 

Though the way she was blushing this time might have burned her alive anyway.

Kristoff mumbled something along the lines of promising drinks for Sven and Jelissa on the dance floor, and promised to be back as quickly as he could before placing another kiss on her forehead and one more on the tip of her nose as she smiled up at him, her eyes dreamy as a soft smile spread across her lips. Anna wanted nothing more than to follow him and join their friends, but she also wanted her sister to meet them. So she stayed put, eyes following Kristoff as he strutted up to the bar, and only returned her focus to Elsa when she heard her name laughed from her peripheral. 

“Sorry.”

Elsa’s lips where pressed together now, a smile evident in her eyes.

“So… fake, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when the gala that was only supposed to be one chapter including smut is now going to span three not including the smut.... hoo hooooo. Hope no one minds lol.


	25. Chapter 25

Kristoff was struggling to find Sven in the crowd of people, but sighed with relief when he heard his name being hollered from behind him. He clenched the three drinks just a little tighter in his hands before turning to face his captain.

“Hey baby!” Sven hollered, slinking across the floor with his fiancée under his arm. Kristoff couldn’t help but chuckle at the pink flush across both of their cheeks. Clearly they had wasted no time in finding the bar and downing more than one drink. “More?”

Handing off something pink and sweet to Jelissa with a smile, Kristoff held up two beers in between his other fingers. He hoped it would help slow Sven down just enough that he wouldn’t have to carry him home, but still let his best friend keep his buzz going. “Drink this for now, I think Anna is going to come join us in a little bit -”

“Oh man, okay,” Sven grabbed the beer before grinning as he spun his cane haphazardly up to rest on his shoulder. “So… wait hang on.” He turned to whisper something in Jelissa’s ear before she rolled her eyes and turned to find some of the ladies who were here with their hockey playing significant others that she knew. “Okay, boy talk.”

“Boy…?” Kristoff felt his face scrunch up just a little in confusion before he felt the sting of a three foot long metal pole colliding with his upper arm. “What the fuck!”

“Will you just,” he did it again, and Kristoff winced as he stepped back. “Tell her how you feel?” Sven was winding up for another whack when Kristoff reached up to place a firm hand on the stick.

“I don’t think hitting me is helping!”

Sven’s eyebrows furrowed as he threw his hands up in defeat, spilling a little of the beer onto the floor. “Well it can’t be hurting! Clearly I need to  _ actually _ smack some sense into you, you moron!” Tearing the can from Kristoff’s grip, Sven slammed it back on the ground. “You’re in love with her, man. We can all see it. Why can’t you?”

Letting a heavy sigh pass over his lips, Kristoff couldn’t help but avert his gaze. He knew Sven was right, and that made his heart speed up under his ribs. He thought about her bright, loving eyes and her glowing smile and her warm laugh that made him feel safe and shit shit  _ shit _ .

He fucking loved her, didn’t he.

“Fuck.”

A knowing smile stretched over Svens lips as he reached over with the cane again, tapping it lightly against Kristoff’s cheek. “You’re so dumb. But I still love you.”

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

—

-

—

Anna loved the time she spent with her sister, but it was almost mortifying to learn of everything she had missed while living by herself these last few months. Apparently their father had somehow gotten worse - she supposed due to the stress of actually having to make decisions - and their mother wasn’t handling it well. In fact, Anna had seen her at the bar, three drinks in, and when she tried to say hello she had been dismissed, almost as if she hadn’t even been recognized.

Elsa said she was doing her best to help, but their mother refused to admit she had a problem. There really wasn’t much that  _ could _ be done right now.

“Anna, this isn’t something you need to worry about, I promise. I’ve got it handled. I want you…” She squeezed at her shoulders lovingly, a smile growing on her face. “I want you to live your life, all right? You seem so  _ happy _ here. You were never happy in LA.”

Nodding and biting at her lip, Anna sighed. “All right, if you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“Then,” she said with a grin, shrugging her shoulders. “ _ You _ should probably let loose a little tonight, huh? Why don’t we…” Her eyes landed on Honeymaren, laughing alongside another member of the media team. “Meet my friends.”

Grabbing her sisters’ hand and pulling her eagerly over towards her coworker, Anna practically leapt to stand between them. “Honey!” Her eyes turned up to face them. 

“Wait, what --”

“Honey this is my sister, the one I’ve mentioned…” She winked and snickered, the cosmo clearly already loosening her up. “ _ You know _ .

“ _ Anna _ .” Elsa’s voice was heavy with warning. 

“ _ Elsa _ ,” she smiled, blowing one huff of air out. “This is Honeymaren -- Honey -- and I think you guys might get along  _ great _ .”

Anna couldn’t help how toothy her grin got as the two women looked at one another and laughed, as if they both knew exactly what Anna was up to. 

That was fine.

Because now she  _ really _ wanted to find Kristoff.

After giving them just a few minutes to introduce themselves to one another, Anna could feel herself starting to get anxious to move, her heels tapping on the ground repeatedly as she bounced up on her toes. “Okay!” she practically exploded, reaching for both of their hands. “How about a round of shots and then we go find Kristoff and Sven?”

Anna missed the way their eyes connected with laughter before she skipped off towards the bar, dragging them behind her. She ordered her favorite shot - the pink starburst - and grinned as she held them out for the other two women. “I think we all deserve this.” Elsa rolled her eyes with a smile and Anna bounced happily before throwing her own back and immediately ordering six simple kamikaze shots before leading the way out to the dance floor where she assumed the three would still be.

It didn’t take long for her wandering eyes to find him, tall and broad and hovering over most of the other attendees. He had lost his hat and his hair was falling out from the slick do, and Anna couldn’t help but  _ love _ the way small bits of his fringe fell into his eyes as he smiled and laughed along with his best friend. And as if he could sense her, his head turned her way, his eyes locked onto hers, and his grin widened. He practically pushed people aside to come meet her halfway, offering his hands to help with the six drinks they had been carrying.

“I brought shots.” Why was she so nervous right now? Obviously she brought shots!

“I see that.” But his smile was genuine.

She heard Sven and Jelissa’s vocalizing for them to come closer over the jazzy decade-appropriate music and laughed, gesturing their way. “I suppose they’ll start a riot if I don’t bring these to them, huh?”

Kristoff shrugged but kept smiling. “They’re already pretty drunk. They’ll probably forget you even have them in a minute.” His free hand reached for her, settling on the bare skin of her lower back before applying just enough pressure to encourage her to move forward. 

“We’ve got some catching up to do, I think,” Anna sighed, glancing at the measly shot in her hand.

“ _ Or _ ,” he rolled his neck, leaning back towards Honey and Elsa. “The four of us can just stay semi-sober and enjoy the show they’re bound to give us.”

Anna enjoyed the laughter from her sister and her friend that bubbled up behind them, sneaking a glance at the two girls before tugging gently on Kristoff’s jacket to make him lean closer. “I’m setting them up,” she whispered, a glint in her eye. “I think they’ll be so good together, you know?”

She hummed happily as he risked one glance back at two women, and Anna noticed a recognition in his eyes she wasn’t wholly familiar with. “Oh, yeah, I think… I think that’ll go well.”

They reached Sven and Jelissa who hollered at a probably obnoxious level before they grabbed two shots from their hands, throwing them back without question.

“Oh boy.” Anna looked up at Kristoff who was practically grimacing as he watched the couple, who were now dancing in a manner that was  _ definitely _ bordering on inappropriate. “That’s not what you want.”

Anna felt her whole face flush as four hands reached out to pull her and Kristoff into their rambunctious dance circle.

—

The night was  _ finally _ starting to wind down, and Anna felt the exhaustion in her bones. As fun as dancing and singing and letting loose with her friends and sister was, she was absolutely on her last leg. She  _ loved _ parties, and loved how they wore her out but energized her at the same time, but she was also just about ready to take her very handsome, very tipsy, fake boyfriend home and enjoy some much needed alone time with him.

Most people had left by now with the exception of a few stragglers who were looking to buy whatever was remaining, and some others who clearly wanted to milk the event for all it was worth. Sven and Jelissa had settled onto a couch in the corner, curled up together and practically sleeping while they waited for the night to end, while Elsa and Honey were sitting in the dining area, knees brushing as they talked and ignored the mostly untouched glasses of wine resting on the table between them. 

Most surprising of all to Anna was that Kristoff was still out on the dance floor with her, holding her close as slow music played to cool off the rest of the attendees. She relished in the way he held her now, his hand settled low on her back while fingers stroked softly at her skin, as his other one grasped hers, their intertwined fingers partially wedged between their chests. Anna couldn’t help but use her other hand to play with the hair at the base of his skull as they swayed back and forth, his eyes rarely leaving hers.

“So…” she hummed, at the same time as he blurted out “I need to confess something.”

“O-oh?” She wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but she thanked the soft encouragement of alcohol as he smiled through the light flush on his cheeks. Anna tried not to let her imagination run too wild - for all she knew he was going to tell her that he didn’t like cats. This could mean nothing. But…

He laughed, just a little one, and spun her slowly to the beat of the music. “You’ve ruined me, you know that? For good.”

Anna felt her smile drop just a little, but she did her best to play it off. “What do you mean?”

“I…” he shook his head, breathing out a heavy sigh. “I mean… No one is ever…” He blinked and his face dropped and she felt him stiffen beneath her. “Don’t take this the wrong way, all right?” 

He seemed to relax just slightly when she let out a breathy laugh and shook her head. “I won’t.”

Nodding, Kristoff continued. “I will never be able to date anyone else. Even if I wanted to.”

His hand tightened around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer as he pressed his cheek against hers. “I’m… I’m still not ready. I’m sorry. But when I  _ am _ …”

“Kristoff…” She let go of his fingers clasped between hers before wrapping her arms around his neck, smiling when his now free hand pressed comfortingly against the back of her head. “I’m…” her heart was hammering beneath her ribs and she could almost see her blood pulsing behind her eyes. “You’re  _ it _ for me.” 

He squeezed just a little tighter.

“I will never… I will  _ never _ feel this way again.”

She heard the soft exhale of breath through his nose as he turned to bury it behind her ear.

“I’ll wait as long as you need me to.”

It didn’t take long for him to pull back just enough to look into her eyes and decide if she was telling the truth. Then faster still, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her deeper than he ever had before.

She loved him.

She would wait  _ forever  _ if she had to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> even slow progress is progress right? This might be a big step for them :)


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's smut. it's smutty smutty smut. with some feelings at the end and some humor at the beginning.
> 
> enjoy!

“All right big boy, we just have to - yep, one foot…” Kristoff laughed as Sven slurred drunken nonsense into his ear, something about reindeer and facing a winter storm… “Yeah, you would be a good reindeer, buddy.” Taking one glance behind him to make sure Jelissa and Anna were fine - they were making their way up the stairs slowly but surely - he reached down to dig through Sven’s pocket and find his house keys.

“I love you s’much, have I toldja that?” Sven reached up to pat at his cheek as he fumbled with the lock, and Kristoff nodded against his hand.

“Yep, buddy, you have. Every day you tell me.”

“Is it enough?” He gasped then, pulling Kristoff’s head to face him. “Is it  _ too much _ ? Omigod you hate it dontchu, you hate  _ me _ .”

He heard Anna snort behind him and rolled his eyes. “No, Sven, I don’t hate you. I…” Sighing and resigning himself to the teasing he was sure he would get when they were alone, Kristoff didn’t bother lowering his voice. “I love you very much.” He was grateful when the damn door finally swung open.

Sven then threw his arms around Kristoff, practically sobbing into his shoulder. “Oh thank god.”

Leading him into the house and immediately into the bedroom in the back, Kristoff may or may not have intentionally dropped his friend into the king sized bed. He rubbed at the back of his neck as Jelissa and Anna followed him in, Jelissa immediately kicking her high heels into the corner. “You can handle it from here?”

He moved to gesture to Sven, and found him already sound asleep. “Or, you know, he’ll just sleep like that.”

“Yeah,” Jelissa sighed, flopping facedown onto the comforter beside him. “We’ll probably just sleep like this.”

“Well then I guess my work here is done.” 

Kristoff nodded, a smirk on his lips as Jelissa raised up a dismissive hand before turning to face the doorway. Anna was still there, abnormally quiet as she observed the room before her. He could almost see the gears turning in her head, as if she was still trying to piece together the whole Sven-has-a-fiancée thing. 

“Hey,” he hummed, smiling a little wider as she jumped slightly. “Ready to go home?” Feeling a small flush rise to his cheeks as she nodded and stuck out a hand, begging him to grab it with just a pulse of her fingers, Kristoff stepped closer to her, lacing her fingers with his. Her warmth spread through his veins as they made their way back down to the waiting limousine.

There was no more pretending, no more denial. There was nothing  _ fake _ left about it. He hadn’t planned for this - for  _ her _ \- but her patience and understanding was more than he deserved and only served to convince him further that she was everything he wanted and needed. 

He locked the door behind them and took the key, certain that there were at least six more keys floating around Sven’s home, before they headed back down to the parked car before apologizing about the wait. He waved them off with a sly smile before closing the door behind them. After a moment of shuffling, the driver dropped down the partition and Kristoff could hear mischief in his voice. “So sorry, Mr. Bjorgman… I believe there is some construction blocking the normal route to Miss Arne’s home… so I will be taking a slightly longer route.”

“That’s…” He glanced over to Anna, a pink tinge on her cheeks. “That’s fine, thank you.”

Then the car started moving and the sound-proof partition was back up and Anna was grinning at him from across the way. “So,” she hummed, shimmying her jacket down her shoulders. “What do you wanna do?”

It only took about forty-five seconds for her to wind up in his lap, straddling him with her knees resting on either side of his hips - and, if he was being totally honest, most of that time had been spent rearranging her skirts around them. The slit in her dress was exposing all of her soft, creamy skin, and Kristoff could practically feel his mouth going dry at her lack of stockings. There was no barrier for him to fight with as he scratched blunt nails up from her knee to the apex of her hip and thigh, and he let out an audible groan as she shifted against him.

“Do you like this dress?” Her mouth was barely an inch away from his as she mumbled, her breath ghosting over his lips. “I thought maybe the slit was too much…” His fingers involuntarily squeezed tighter at her thigh. “But maybe not.”

“Definitely not,” he practically growled as his free hand rose to the back of her head, bringing her lips crashing onto his. He was grateful for her quick response as she nipped at his bottom lip before sliding her tongue against his mouth, begging for entrance. She was fiery tonight as her fingers tangled into his hair and forced him to lean further back for her.

He knew they wouldn’t get  _ exactly _ where they were desperate to be in the back of this limo, but he would do everything in his power to make sure she was  _ ready _ and  _ willing _ . Fingers stretched to pull at the soft swell of her behind, and he felt her let out a quiet moan against him.

Lips were moving slowly and deeply, as if they were both waiting rather impatiently to move forward.

“ _ Kris _ ,” she breathed, biting gently at him again. “I…”

“What, baby?” Kristoff lowered himself to lock onto her throat, leaving a trail of wet kisses against her skin. “Tell me what you want.”

She ground herself down against him and Kristoff could feel his cock growing impossibly harder as her hot center slid over him. He bit at the delicate skin of her throat in response, grinning as she whimpered above him. “What do you  _ want _ ?”

”Wanna be  _ home _ ,” she whined as he kissed down between her breasts. “Want  _ you _ .”

“ _ Soon _ , baby.”

He brought his mouth back up to hers, sighing contentedly as she licked into his mouth and continued the dry rocking of her hips against his. He needed to be inside her, was desperate for it… but even if he knew this driver and appreciated how discreet he had always been for Sven, Kristoff didn’t want tonight to be fast and dirty. He wanted the chance to take his time and worship her and make her feel as beautiful as he thought she was.

The car was rolling to a stop, and Kristoff breathed a sigh of relief. “I think —“ She kept kissing him between his words. “We’re here —“

Anna practically leapt off of his lap when there were two sharp knocks against the door. He couldn’t help the small laugh that bubbled up from his throat at the sight of her, flushed from her forehead to her fingertips, chest heaving as she tried her best to compose herself before they slid out the door. She coughed once - twice - before reaching for her coat and slipping it back over her arms. “Sh-shall we?”

Kristoff moved to leave first, grateful that their driver had enough tact to not just swing the door open, and stepped out into the cool December air, biting his tongue when he realized just how steamed up the windows had become. He helped Anna out of the backseat, closed the door behind her, and slipped their driver a fat tip before following her up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

He barely gave her time to close the door before he was on her again, his hands sliding up the whole of her back as he pushed her coat off of her arms again and scratched against her smooth skin. “ _ Now _ ,” he grumbled, leading her with his body to her tiny bedroom. Before he realized what was happening, she was falling backwards onto the bed, her hands tangled in his suit jacket as she brought him with her. Kristoff braced for impact, but absolutely relished the way her body fit against his as she cupped her hands over his cheeks. 

They weren’t strangers to half-dressed desperate fucking, but Kristoff wanted her  _ bare _ , wanted to be able to touch every part of her tonight. Things were changing, and he was prepared to change with them. 

A groan of loss was quickly replaced by a soft mewl as he kissed his way down her chest and stomach before he knelt on the ground and swung one of her legs up. Kissed trailed down the pale skin of her thigh, her shin, until he settled on her ankle, kissing the inside before unbuckling her strappy heels. He repeated the actions in reverse on her other leg - shoe off, ankle kiss, and a trail of more all the way up to her mouth again. “Want to get out of that dress?” He sighed against her, smiling when she nodded feverishly, and helped her stand up off of the bed. 

It was an easy enough dress for her to slide out of, and before he was even free of his vest she was naked, flushed and beautiful, waiting patiently for him to meet her. “Jesus,” he sighed, stepping forward to reach out for her, only to be deterred as she giggled and stopped his hands from coming any closer.

“Hurry up. While I’ll wait... I’ll just…” She sat back on the bed, trailing her own fingers deliciously down from her lips to rest between her thighs. “... Get started.”

“ _ Fuck _ .”

Kristoff thought it was possible that he set a record with how quickly he stripped off his own layers, and soon enough he was in the bed again with her, skin on skin as their thighs tangled together in a desperate grind. She was slick and dripping against his toned muscles and he couldn’t wait a minute longer.

“Please,” he begged, not even minding how whiny he sounded. “I  _ need _ you.” He wrapped arms around her waist and twisted them so she was laying on top of him. “Like this.  _ Please _ .”

Anna got the hint and he had never been more grateful as she maneuvered on top of him, propping herself up on his chest as she positioned her wet center over his aching cock. A slow stroke of her hand up his length almost pissed him off until he felt the tip of him teasing at her before she slowly lowered herself onto him. 

She felt  _ so  _ good and it took everything in him not to give in to the urge just to fuck into her with reckless abandon. 

“ _ Move _ .” 

It wasn’t a request.

She did, slowly at first, little rolls of her hips against him as she took a few moments to readjust to him, but they quickly devolved into more erratic bouncing that echoed the delicious sound of skin on skin through the room. He lifted one hand to her breasts, playing with one pebbled nipple as he admired the motion of the other, moving in time with her thrusts. The other couldn’t decide where it needed to be, moving rapidly from squeezing the soft flesh of her ass to caressing her cheek to tangling in her hair before she irritatedly grabbed his wrist and shoved it between her thighs.

“ _ Touch me _ ,” she begged, her fingers pressing his against her as she encouraged the movement.

He would do whatever she asked of him.

But he needed her closer.

Abandoning the focus on her breasts, Kristoff pressed his fingernails into her hair, urging her to meet him in the middle before pressing hot, open mouthed kisses against her lips. He wanted to tell her everything he was feeling - wanted to make sure she knew how  _ beautiful  _ and  _ amazing _ she was, and could only hope that his ministrations would convince her of everything he knew.

Soon enough he could feel her clenching, piercing her nails into his chest as her kisses grew sloppier, and he knew she was teetering at the edge.

He wanted to see her come undone. 

“ _ Baby _ .”

She moaned at the name.

“I wanna see you…” 

She nodded, but he wanted to  _ see _ her. 

“ _ Look _ at me.”

Kristoff could see the tremendous effort she put forth to open her eyes, blown out and hazy, before locking them onto his. She was so good, so beautiful, so giving.

“ _ Atta girl _ .”

She came then, her brows furrowing with the exertion of keeping her eyes locked onto his as he took charge and thrusted into her, fucking her through her climax before he followed suit, burying himself deeper inside as he was drained for all he was worth.

Heavy breaths, a gentle touch of her forehead against his, and a tender kiss eased them out of their passion - but there was an unspoken agreement of refusal to separate as he tucked her under his chin, cuddling closer while he waited for her soft snores to come.

—

The next time he opened his eyes, they had shifted. His cock had slipped out of her, and Anna had her nose pressed against his jaw with her arm wrapped tightly around his neck.

_ Fuck _ .

He fell asleep. 

On the rare occasions that she fell asleep right after, he would give her a kiss and hope she didn’t wake up, get dressed and then leave. Because there was a line he wasn’t sure if they should cross - and that line was  _ sleeping over _ . It punched him in the gut every time he left her, but he couldn’t  _ admit _ that, so he continued just… leaving afterwards.

But he  _ fell asleep  _ and now it was three in the morning and she looked so  _ comfortable _ … but…

“Hey,” he whispered, pressing a kiss against her wrist. “Anna.”

She mumbled something against his skin but stayed mostly out. “ _ Anna _ .” More force this time. “I gotta go…”

“No…” Her voice was muffled against him but there was no mistaking it.

“It’s  _ late _ .”

She moved against him, freeing him from her vice grip around his neck, and shifted back enough to press her face into the pillow instead of his jaw. Kristoff let out a sigh, half relieved and half regretful, before he moved to sit up in the bed.

“You know…” her voice was quiet, barely a whisper in the dark. “You can stay.” As if she maybe wasn’t sure she wanted him to hear.

“ _ Anna _ …”

Her shoulders shrugged just a little against the blankets. “You don’t have to be anywhere… and it’s already late.” She kept her nose buried in the fluffy pillow. “Just once won’t hurt.” 

He reached down to push some hair off her face, cringing slightly at the feel of dried hairspray. “If I stay  _ once _ I’m going to  _ keep  _ staying.”

Turning her head to look up at him, he could see a sadness in her eyes. “Then keep staying.”

Kristoff’s heart leapt into his throat when he smiled and nodded, giving up on the protest easily before he threw the covers back over his shoulders and pulled her closer. “Okay.” And then, to break the slight tension, “but at my place next time. Your bed is tiny.”

And, as she cuddled into his embrace, “you’re just a giant.”

“Okay,” he laughed, closing his eyes as she pressed one kiss against his collarbone.

“Glad we agree.”

“Of course,” he sighed softly against her as he settled in for the night. “Whatever you say.”

“That’s right.”

With a chuckle, he pressed one more kiss against her hair before he felt a new kind of deep sleep creeping in at the edge of his vision.


	27. Chapter 27

Kristoff woke with an unfamiliar but not unwelcome weight on his chest. Taking one deep breath in before opening his eyes, he flexed his half asleep arm and turned to face the still soundly sleeping redhead beside him. Her little snores were fucking  _ adorable _ and Kristoff felt his heart soften under her palm as he focused on the feel of her breath warming his throat. “Anna,” he whispered, pressing his nose against her forehead. A little louder, “hey, Anna.”

She let out one loud snort and a snuffle before nuzzling deeper against his skin. He couldn’t help the breath of laughter that passed his lips. “ _ Baby _ ,” he tried, the word still foreign in his mouth, stroking his free hand down her cheek. “Wake up.”

“Mmmno,” she hummed, her arm wrapping around his neck as her ankle hooked around his calf. “Comfy.”

His thumb kept moving against her skin, stroking over the mess of freckles he had grown to be so fond of. He wouldn’t move if he didn’t have to… but it was kind of bordering on  _ urgent _ . “I have to  _ pee _ .”

Anna let out an annoyed groan before she let go of him, scooting just a little away as she tugged blankets tighter around her shoulders. “Come back soon,” she slurred, already drifting back off. He lifted his hand up to her skin, fingers brushing lightly against her as he pushed her messy fringe away from her eyes. A small smile tugged at her lips, and Kristoff found himself unable to look away.

She was beautiful, laying there so peacefully as her little snores started up again. Kristoff was realizing that he had never quite seen her  _ this _ relaxed. There was something about it - about how sure she seemed that he would be cuddling up beside her again in no time - that made his heart soar.

He didn’t know what was holding him back. 

He loved her, he knew he wanted to be with her, and he knew she felt the same. She understood his fears and baggage and accepted him anyway, and was willing to wait for him to deal with it. Every moment with her felt like a step in the right direction, and every part of him longed for her when she wasn’t around. He didn’t even like going on away games anymore, because video chat wasn’t  _ enough _ .

So  _ what _ was holding him back?

Cupping her jaw, he ran a tentative thumb over her bottom lip. She breathed a heavy sigh through her nose and he couldn’t help but smile. 

He supposed if you believed something for so long, it took more effort to change it in the end. He wasn’t magically going to get over these hangups and be  _ ready _ just like that, but Anna was worth the work. Anna was worth all the time and effort and mental challenges he would face to  _ get _ to a point where he was ready.

And maybe she’d even be willing to help him along the way. 

Where she could.

Pressing chapped lips to her forehead, Kristoff moved to get up. He jostled the bed as he practically fell out of it, wishing there was slightly more grace in his bones - but it didn’t seem to wake her in the slightest as she pulled a pillow down to her chest to get back to something she deemed comfortable. He didn’t bother putting on any clothes as he made his way to her small bathroom. 

He did his business, splashed his face with some water, and stroked wet hands through his still stiff hair, grimacing as it practically crackled under his touch. He needed a shower,  _ bad _ . He knew where she kept her towels, knew she had not-so-secretly gone out and bought some of his preferred products, and  _ knew _ she wouldn’t mind it in the slightest… So Kristoff flicked on the hot water, stepped into her small square of a standing shower, and washed away the remainder of the evening.

Judging by the levels of light in the apartment, it was barely 7.

Kristoff  _ supposed _ he could go back to bed - they had been up awfully late...

_ Or _ he could whip something together by the time she woke up.

—

-

—

Anna was cold when she woke up. She was cold, and she was  _ alone _ .

Her hand stretched out in front of her to see if there was  _ any _ remaining warmth where Kristoff had been sleeping, hoping that he had just gotten up a little bit earlier. It would be okay if he had  _ just _ gotten up.

But there wasn’t.

Swallowing hard, Anna curled her fingers into the fabric of the pillow. Had he really left? She vaguely remembered him getting up some hours earlier, but she had assumed he would still be tired and come back to bed. Had he seen it as an opportunity to leave? Had he taken one look at her - all knotted hair and smeared makeup and probably some drool crusted on her chin - and decided that it was too much?

Had it been too good to be true?

She sat up just enough to notice his wallet and keys were gone from the nightstand, and his clothes were no longer scattered around the room, and she felt her heart clench under her ribs. There was no trace of him left.

_ Oh _ .

Anna had thought -  _ hoped _ \- that their short conversation the night before was a step in the right direction. She had  _ thought _ it meant he was going to stick around for a while. She thought he meant that he wanted her, that she was going to be his choice when he was ready, thought that the promise of  _ my place next time  _ meant that he was going to start letting go of old baggage… But clearly it had just been the soft encouragement of liquor loosening his lips.

This wasn’t the first time she had been wrong. 

It just never hurt quite this much before.

She was just about to settle in for a day of not leaving the bed and moping when a loud crash from somewhere else in the apartment startled her. “Ah,  _ fuck _ \--” It was louder than a whisper, but clearly hushed as if not to wake her. 

Her whole body tensed as she clambered out of the sheets, grabbing at her small shorts and large tee that she kept thrown over the back of a chair, and padded as quietly as she could out of the bedroom. It was probably just Elsa… or…

Peeking her head around the corner, Anna felt her pulse quicken. 

Kristoff was standing in the middle of the kitchenette, shirtless and cursing as grease popped up from the stove, his suit pants slung low on his hips without the belt secured, and he looked freshly showered and downright  _ glowy _ as the warm morning sun filtered in through the small window over the sink. Anna swallowed around the lump in her throat.

He was _ still here _ .

Barely controlling herself as she moved across the cool wood floor, Anna did her best not to leap on him as she threw her arms around his neck and buried her nose into his shoulder. He jumped just slightly, clearly not noticing her before she collided with him, and let out a short laugh as she tightened her grip.

“Good morning,” he grinned, his voice just a little raspy from disuse and the strain of the night before. “You -- Oh,  _ okay _ \--”

Anna had practically started climbing up him, her legs wrapping around his waist as he lowered one hand to support her bottom. He turned her away from the stove, doing his best to protect her from the splashing bacon while also not letting it burn. “Anna, this --”

“You’re  _ here _ ,” she mumbled against his skin, pressing her mouth and nose into the crook of his neck. The relief she felt coursing through her was almost unbearable.

“What?” Kristoff pulled his head back just enough to look at her. “Of course I am…” His grip tightened on her, and she squeezed his hips with her thighs. “Did you think I left?”

Frowning and pressing her nose back up against his neck, Anna didn’t answer right away. She  _ had _ , and now she felt ridiculous about it. “Well… all your stuff was gone.”

“Baby,” he laughed and reached back to the pan to flip the now crisping bacon. “I went to the store.” His mouth lowered to rest beside her ear, and his voice dropped to an almost whisper. “How do you live like this? All your fridge had in it was a carton of  _ expired _ milk and half a jar of pickles.”

Her mood immediately lifted, his teasing brightening everything about the day. “Excuse  _ me _ ,” she snorted, leaning back and straightening her back. She quirked one eyebrow as she stared down at him, practically turning her nose up. “There is a pizza in the freezer.”

He laughed, a full belly laugh, his cheeks stretching with the width of this smile, and Anna was enamoured with him all over again. She had to kiss him.  _ Had _ to. Her hands rose to his jaw, and she planted a chaste, wide grinned kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

Kristoff’s laugh cut off, but he continued to look at her with adoration in his eyes and a softer smile playing at his lips. She continued stroking her thumbs over his cheeks as he swallowed, flushed pink, and then turned his attention back to the stove.

“Shit…”

Smile dropping, she looked down at the pan of burnt meat and laughed. Bacon did burn awful quick if you failed to give it your full attention. “That’s okay.” Her fingers found their way to the hair at the bottom of his skull again and scratched gently at his scalp, her cheeks flushing when a soft moan left his throat at the contact. “I like my bacon extra crispy anyway.”

“Sure, sure, sure,” he chuckled, bouncing her higher on his hips before taking the hot pan off of the stove. “I’m positive you’re not just saying that.” He reached up to flick off the gas range, slid a spatula under the _extra crispy_ _bacon_ and dropped it down onto a waiting paper towel.

Anna couldn’t help her own giggle from bubbling up behind her lips. “I promise!” And then she lowered his head to kiss him again, both of their toothy grins prohibiting the kisses from being anything but innocent. “I love burnt bacon.”

“Well,” he sighed, his newly freed other hand pressing firmly against her mid-back as he savored her small, peppering kisses. “I’ll burn your bacon every morning, if you’d like.”

“Ooh,” she hummed against him, as if seriously contemplating it. “Tempting.”

Kristoff’s tongue teased her lips then, breakfast quickly forgotten as a heat rose between the two of them. Unspoken promises of many future mornings whispered in the back of her mind, pressing her desire to the forefront as his hands roamed over her body, mapping every inch of her.

She  _ wanted _ so much, but groaned at the feeling of hairspray still stiff in her hair, makeup still caked on her face, and sweat dried slightly sticky against her skin. She needed to be clean before anything else could happen.

“Ah,” she sighed, pushing regrettably away from him. “It’s my turn to shower.” Anna almost laughed at the clear frustration in his eyes as she wiggled out of his grasp. “Are you willing to burn some eggs for me, too?” 

Watching with delight as his tongue pressed against one cheek then ran across his bottom teeth under his lips - a sign she had learned meant he was wound up and annoyed that he had to tamp it down - Anna touched her feet back down to the cool floor. 

“... Maybe pancakes?”

“Am I your personal chef now?” His teasing irritation made her smile.

With a laugh and a quick hop up to place one more soft kiss against his cheek, Anna grinned. She practically sang “only on the weekends, I suppose,” before skipping off to the bathroom and shutting the door quickly behind her, cutting off any protests he may have had.


	28. Chapter 28

Kristoff  _ almost _ fell over when Anna sprung herself forward to land on his back with her arms around his neck. It was mostly the surprise of it, but he managed to right them both before she even noticed his stumble. “Hi,” he laughed, shifting his bag of gear to his other shoulder as she slid down the expanse of his back. “You’re chipper this morning.”

“Well,” she grinned, sliding her hand into his and lacing their fingers together. “It’s a beautiful day!”

It was most decidedly  _ not _ a beautiful day. It was cold and gloomy and snowing. And not even a  _ pretty _ snow… just wet and harsh. But if Anna felt that way, then sure, he could roll with it. “That so?”

She had started swinging their hands together as they walked, her thumb tracing circles over his. “Mhmm,” was all she hummed, nodding slowly. 

It had been two weeks since the gala and she had spent almost every night at his house. It had been weird to fall asleep without her last night, but she had insisted on staying with her sister at her hotel. Apparently they needed some bonding time, and who was he to deny her that? But still, he already felt tension draining from his shoulders as she squeezed his hand and bumped his hip with her own while they walked and she talked about the bright side of the bad weather.

“I missed you,” he mumbled beneath her rambling, blushing bright when she stopped mid sentence to look up at him. 

A small hop-skip-jump brought her lips up to his cheek, and then she was smiling even brighter. “I missed you, too.” 

Kristoff coughed slightly, just to clear his throat, before shaking his head and trying to accept the small moment of vulnerability. “So, um…” He shrugged and kept his gaze forward. “Did you have fun with your sister?” He relaxed just slightly when she pressed her arm against his.

“Oh, yes.” She paused for a moment as she looked around. “I guess Elsa and Honey have been…” Anna practically giggled behind her hand. “You know.” A snort laugh and red tinged cheeks made him smile. “ _ Talking _ .”

He could laugh at this shy, bashful Anna, so different from one he knew. Maybe it was because she was talking about her  _ sister _ , but shit, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was how she talked about him, too. “Oh? Talking? Or…  _ not _ talking.”

Anna whacked at his chest and laughed again, wrapping her hands around his bicep this time. “That’s my sister you’re talking about.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

A relaxed silence fell between them again as they continued down the corridor. Kristoff had spent the whole night thinking, and talking to Sven, and talking to his mother, and… He had decided that he wanted to do something special for Anna. He wanted to take her somewhere fancy, wine and dine her, and,  _ fuck _ , as cheesy as it was, wanted to  _ officially _ ask her out.

They sat in limbo right now, unsure of where to proceed. Their feelings were on the table, but, at least for Kristoff, things still felt  _ uncertain _ . Did she want him to fully figure himself out  _ before _ they moved forward? Or was she willing to work  _ with _ him? It was a lot to ask of someone, but she was the most patient and kind person he had ever met. 

If anyone would be able to help him, it was  _ her _ .

Coach Mattias’ door slammed open as they stepped into the locker room. It startled Anna, who clenched his arm a little tighter as their eyes both snapped to the entrance. Warren emerged first, obviously irritated, followed by Mattias and…

“Papa!” Anna exclaimed, clearly taken aback. “I didn’t think you were coming to the skate…”

His face was stern as he turned his attention to the two of them. Kristoff could swear there was something venomous in his eyes. “I wasn’t. But I was called for a meeting.”

Kristoff was going to let go of her, but he felt just a slight squeezing of her fingers. “Oh?”

“We’ll talk later.”

And then he left the locker room, leaving a dozen or so stressed out players in his wake. 

“Dude, what was  _ that _ ?” Kristoff’s eyes moved quickly to Warren and Anisimov, hunkered into a corner as Warren’s glare lingered just slightly too long on Anna. 

He met Kristoff’s gaze, clenched his jaw, and snapped his head back around to face his teammate. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

This didn’t seem good.

—

Family skate had never been Kristoff’s favorite event. Sometimes he was able to fly his family out around Christmas and keep them in town long enough, but with his sister having a new baby and his dad needing to get someone trained to run the shop, they weren’t able to join him this year. But it was okay, because this year he had  _ Anna _ , and she more than made up for all the years he just stuck awkwardly with Sven, Jelissa, and their siblings. 

She clearly had snuck in more practice since their initial learn-to-skate session, and was easily gliding over the ice - nothing fancy, but clearly comfortable on skates. Every once in a while a good song would come on, and she would speed up to catch Sven and Jelissa as they danced and sang and all-around made fools of themselves.

He fucking loved it.

One song in particular had Sven crouched and shaking his ass back and forth as Anna smacked at it, the lyrics rapping something about fit fat asses and needing tempo and so many other words he couldn’t understand. Kristoff would have been jealous if it were  _ anyone _ else, but there was absolutely  _ zero _ reason for it with the two of them. He even found himself skating closer as Anna sang something about  _ boyfriends watching _ and made little finger hooks to urge him over.

He would never be able to express how open and free he felt when she was by his side.

“Okay, I’m tired,” she laughed, leaning on Kristoff’s shoulder. “Water break.”

Kristoff gestured for her to lead the way, but shivered slightly when her hands slid over his hips as she came to a stop behind him, one arm lifting to flick at the bobble on top of his toque. “Take me where I need to be!” she hollered, wrapping her arms around his waist. 

So, as was his nature when it came to Anna, he did the exact opposite.

Bending at the knees, and hearing her quick realization of what was happening, Kristoff took off, almost full sprint, with Anna laughing wildly behind him. “Stop stop stop!” But her laughter was louder than the protests, so he kept going, zig zagging out of other skaters while she yelled apologies behind them. 

“Kristoff!!”

He grabbed her hands with his own, holding on tight to her, as he whipped around a corner.

“Too fast for you?” 

“Not even close!” 

Finally, when he had worn himself out, too, Kristoff came to a gradual stop right at the door, offering Anna a hand to help her step off the ice. She was still laughing, her cheeks flushed with exhilaration, and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning forward and cupping her jaw in his palms. One more sighing laugh came from her throat as she looked up at him with a crooked smile.

She was so fucking  _ beautiful _ .

He kissed her, deep and slow, earning a round of wolf-whistling from the adults in the rink. He didn’t even care, because her hands were gripping his and her chest was arching into his and god damn it, did he need something fancy to tell her what he wanted? “Anna…” His breath was heavy as he pulled away, swallowing around the new lump in his throat. “Anna, I…”

Her eyes were full of wonder as she kept her gaze locked onto his, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

“I… I really --”

“ _ Anna _ .”

Her fathers’ stern voice cut through their thoughts and she jumped away as quickly as she could, turning to face the owner with her hands clasped together behind her back.

Of course.

“Hi, papa.” She waved her fingers at Kristoff from behind her back, urging him to head back out onto the ice. “What’s up?” 

Kristoff felt her fathers’ eyes locked onto him as he took a few glides backwards, giving them the privacy he thought she might be asking for. He wasn’t sure what was wrong, but he felt unsettled as he tried his best to turn his attention back to his friends instead of on Anna, following the owner back into Mattias’ office.

—

Almost an hour passed before Anna reemerged. 

Mr. Arne had come out after just twenty minutes, bid his farewells, and told them to give his daughter some privacy before heading out of the arena. Kristoff had pulled out his phone and texted her, not wanting to barge in on something she didn’t want him to bear witness to. 

_ Is everything okay baby? _

**yeah! yep!! i’ll be out soon!! Sorry!!**

_ Are you sure? I can come back if you want. _

**no!!! it’s fine! just doing some quick paperwork!!**

He wasn’t sure he believed her, and the excess of exclamation points certainly didn’t help, but she wasn’t pleading for him to come and comfort her and he had to trust that she would  _ ask _ if she had wanted him to. But when she came back out to the ice, he noticed her red nose and puffy cheeks, and immediately skated over to her. “Anna…?” 

A smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yes?”

He scanned over her face, noting the softly twitching corner of her mouth and flaring of her nostrils that he could guess signified she wanted him to  _ drop it _ . So… he held out his hand to her and waggled his fingers in her direction. “Wanna keep skating?” The relief he saw drop in her shoulders made him tense in her place as she nodded and stepped back onto the ice. 

It all felt different then. She kept a firm grip on his fingers as they moved slowly around the rink, no more enthusiasm in her small strides, and  _ definitely _ no more dancing.

He had to try again. “Baby…” his voice was low, just above a whisper, as he pressed a kiss against her hairline.

“I’m fine. Please.” She kept her gaze firmly forward, until they reached the end of their second lap. She tugged on his arm just slightly, tilting her body towards the exit. “I think…” she started, biting her bottom lip. “I think that I really want to get a burger.”

Kristoff almost laughed. “Yeah, yeah, of course. Let’s go. We can talk. Let me just grab my --”

But then she was red faced and she was hollering at Sven and Jelissa, waving them over and inviting them along. 

Anna didn’t want to be alone with him right now. 

Normally it wouldn’t bother him, but when it felt like she was going to some great length to avoid telling him what was bothering her, he could feel irritation prickling at his spine. Kristoff sighed and trailed behind the others as they made their way back to the locker room to grab their things. 

Soon after, they were all climbing into Sven’s Escalade, making their way to his favorite burger joint. He said it was a hole in the wall and you had to  _ know _ someone to know about it. Kristoff couldn’t help but tease him, saying knowing  _ him _ clearly hadn’t done them any favors.

Anna’s hollow laugh felt like a knife in his stomach.

He knew she’d tell him when she was ready, but there was a burning in the back of his throat that begged him to pester her until she caved, until she laid it all out on the table. But that was his  _ father _ . That was something  _ he _ would do. That wasn’t Kristoff. He wasn’t going to  _ do  _ that.

Instead, he reached over, clasped her hand in his, and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

At least this time her smile was a little more genuine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks 2 @ahtohallan-calling and @awesomemaple on tumblr for the sven and anna dancing to lizzo inspo lmao the true mvps.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So so so so so so many that it's close to infinite thank you's to xmjcx for helping me with this chapter. Her wisdom got me over a roadblock I couldn't figure out my way around, so, yeah. I'm just forever grateful.

Kristoff had insisted, after their long-running burger dinner, that either she should come to his, or let him come to hers. But Anna had smiled and shook her head, promising that she just had a very bad headache and wanted nothing more than to go to bed. 

“You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” He stroked a nervous thumb over the back of her hand before she leapt out of his truck. 

No kiss.

“I know,” she smiled again, but it still wasn’t reaching her eyes.

Anna waved and left him sitting alone, worried and upset, as he watched her shoulders sag as she made her way up the stairs. He hoped maybe some sleep would help.

But then she didn’t show up the next day. To be fair, she didn’t really have any work to do when there wasn’t a game - she just usually came to watch practice and hang out afterwards - but it was strange nonetheless. 

He had texted her as soon as he got off the ice.

_ Want me to come over tonight? I’ll bring dinner? Chinese? _

**aww, you’re sweet. im just not feeling well. maybe tomorrow?**

_ All right… let me know. _

**of course!**

He didn’t even  _ hear _ from her for another day after that.

She came in on Thursday for a game against St. Louis, and Kristoff took note of the caked makeup over her dark, puffy under eyes. “Hi, baby,” he tried, letting out a heavy sigh of relief when she immediately stepped into his outstretched arms and pressed her nose into his shoulder. “Feeling better?”

Her head shook a firm  _ no _ against him, but he wasn’t going to push it. Kristoff was just thankful she was  _ here  _ and responding to him.

“I’m here,” he breathed into her hair. “Whatever you need.”

He swore he felt her sob against him.

She powered through the night, interviews were jovial and upbeat as she made jokes and teased and talked through play-by-plays with some of his teammates. You could barely even see how much makeup she was wearing on camera - Ryder had been picking flattering angles and lighting.

They had won, she had hugged him, and even kissed him once more.

But she still drove home alone afterwards.

“Man…”

Kristoff turned around in the parking lot, surprised to see Honeymaren walking out behind him. “Real shame, huh?” He felt his eyebrows furrow as she looked down into her bag. Did  _ she _ know? “I know, I know, I’m not  _ supposed _ to know but,” she shrugged and smiled sadly up at him. “Her sister has loose lips.”

He nodded once, hoping she would continue. Thank god  _ she _ wasn’t so tight with secrets either. “Just…  _ God _ their father is the worst, right? I can’t believe that he just  _ fired _ her like that.”

His heart was hammering in his throat as she kept talking. 

“You’d think, you know... that’s his  _ kid _ , right? Give them the benefit of the doubt?” She was shaking her head now. “Apparently he called her all sorts of…” She sighed into a groan and she practically shivered. “Just… horrible.”

Kristoff gave her about thirty seconds to continue before he blurted out a quiet “why?” He ignored how her eyes widened. “Why did he fire her?”

Honey looked shocked now. “She… Anna hasn’t told you?”

He could feel his eyes fluttering slightly as he shook his head. “No…”

“Oh, um…” 

Regret was radiating off of her in waves. She had said too much, he knew she thought it, but… He understood, now. No one wants to be fired - much less by their own  _ parent _ \- not to mention, Kristoff genuinely couldn’t think of a single thing Anna could have possibly done  _ wrong _ . She was a great employee,  _ and _ a great on-air personality… But he still didn’t understand why she wasn’t telling  _ him _ . 

Unless…

His shoulders slumped. “Was it… because of me? Because,” he stuttered for a moment, gripping the strap of his duffel. “Because she was dating me?”

“Oh, god,” Honey cringed, pressing a palm against her forehead. “I… I think you should talk to  _ her _ . I…  _ shit _ . I’m sorry.” He watched her cheeks darken as she turned to head back to her car. “I… god, I thought you would’ve  _ known _ .”

He nodded once, curt and hardly there, as she climbed into her drivers’ side. “Me, too,” he mumbled, before she shut the door.

—

One more day passed before he heard the personalized Disney ringtone she had set on his phone -  _ because you said I was pretty enough to be a princess, remember? _ \- and Kristoff was  _ almost _ embarrassed at how he dove for his phone. “Anna?”

“Wanna come over?” She sounded so shy, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. “I’ll order pizza.”

“Of course, give me a few minutes.”

She hung up almost immediately and he definitely broke a few speed limits getting to her as quickly as he possibly could. And, as if she heard his truck, or his heavy footsteps, or even his panting for air as he sprinted up the staircase, her front door swung open just as he lifted his hand to knock. 

“Hi --”

“No talking.” Anna threw her arms around his neck and led him quickly into the apartment, kissing him deeply as they stumbled over her haphazard piles of belongings. It was only a short walk before he recognized the distinct smell of her perfume that was strongest in the bedroom.

_ Fuck _ , he knew they needed to talk, he  _ knew _ she needed to tell him, or that he needed to tell  _ her _ , but she was so warm and giving and he had missed her  _ so much _ . Then suddenly, a moment of clarity as she threw herself down on the bed, fingers tangled in his t-shirt, moving with enough force to pull them apart for just a moment as he locked his arms on either side of her. “Hang on, wait, Anna… We really  _ should _ \--”

Her hand clasped over his mouth. “I said  _ no talking _ .”

Kristoff blinked a couple times in surprise, eyes scanning over her face. Her nose and cheeks were red, eyes dark and wet, and she had  _ still fucking been crying _ . But… would this make her feel better? Could he risk turning her down and her kicking him out? She was in control of this whole situation, and if this was what she  _ wanted _ … 

God,  _ no _ .

No, it wouldn’t  _ help _ . He knew her well enough by now to know that for sure, didn’t he?

Turning his head enough to slip her hand from his lips, Kristoff twisted his hips so that he was sitting beside her now on the bed, resting one of his hands on her forearm and squeezing reassuringly. “Anna…” 

Her cheeks were red, now with embarrassment, as he rubbed his thumb back and forth over her skin. “Honeymaren, uh… She told me what happened.”

There was a mixture of confusion and anger and relief washing over her features as she seemed to be puzzling over which one to allow to the forefront. He blew out one breath of air, and had to close his eyes when he heard one heavy sob escape from her throat. “She…  _ what _ ?”

“Not…” He stroked his fingers up her arm to rest below her shoulder, doing his best to reassure her. “Not everything, I don’t think. Just…” She sat up, forcing his hand to leave her arm and settle on her leg. “That he fired you.”

His eyes dragged over the slight swell of her throat as she swallowed before darting back up to her downcast eyes. Kristoff only hesitated for a moment before he scooted a little closer, now hip to hip, and nudged her with his shoulder. “Anna…” She looked up at him, eyes red and puffy, and he tried his best to give her a soft smile. “You can tell me as much --  _ or as little _ \-- as you want. I’m here. Just… let me know what you need.”

She blinked away a few tears, sniffled once, and then laid her head against his shoulder.

“He…” Another sniffle. “He was never told that our… how we started…” He couldn’t see her face, but he could almost picture her lip caught between her teeth as she struggled for the words. “He didn’t know it was fake. And… I guess someone told him…”

_ Warren _ . That scumbag Warren told him. But how the  _ hell _ did he even know?”

“So… now I’m a big liar.” Her hands came to grasp at his as he flipped his palm up on her thigh, and she let out a small sigh as she started playing with his fingers. “I guess it just… confirmed his suspicions about me - about…” Anna’s head shook against his shoulder and he nodded, letting it go. It was something she wasn’t ready to reveal yet, and he would respect that.

“Anyway, I guess he said… it wasn’t worth the potential scandal?” He could tell it was easier when she wasn’t looking at him. “If everything came to light… About how I got the job, about the… PR stuff… I think he said I wasn’t good enough at it to justify it… I don’t really know,” she laughed lightly, bitterly, as she squeezed at his fingers, and he tried his best not to let the rage bubbling in his stomach boil over. “I kind of blacked out a bit, I think. But… After the All-Star break, I’m… done.”

Kristoff turned his head to press his lips softly against her hair before settling his cheek against her head once more. “Your father is making a  _ huge _ mistake. It’s going to be a big loss, you not gracing everyone’s screens anymore.”

Anna laughed, quietly but genuinely this time, and he brought his other arm to settle around her hips. “I’m not kidding, really.” He could feel her turn her nose in to nuzzle against his throat. “Listen, I’ve… seen a lot of interviewers and worked with a lot of interviewers, and you have this very, very natural charisma about you. You get even the most resistant guys to talk.” He vaguely lifted their joined hands to gesture at himself. 

“You hardly wanted anything to do with me, if you want to remember  _ correctly _ .”

“Yeah, well,” he grinned, pinching at the curve of her hip and soaking in the soft sound of her laughter. “That’s what I’m saying. You’re  _ so good _ at getting people to open up and talk. That’s a skill few possess.”

He wanted so badly to look at her, but Kristoff wouldn’t risk moving if she felt safe here. “And,  _ god, _ you’re so smart, Anna.” 

A meek “I am?”

“Of course!  _ Fuck _ , you learned the ins and outs of hockey in a matter of  _ weeks _ .” He felt her tensing against him. “I swear, you asked questions that even made  _ us _ impressed. You saw things sometimes that even  _ I  _ missed on the ice.”

“No I didn’t.” 

He did pull back then, turning on the bed to face her as he lifted his hands up to her shoulders, pressing firm palms against her. “You  _ did _ . Anna…” Her eyes rose to meet his and he couldn’t help but smile. “You’re  _ amazing _ . You’re kind and funny and smart and  _ brave _ \-- you took a job you knew nothing about in a new city and you  _ proved _ that you could do it. You stood up to people who said you  _ couldn’t _ -”

“... Like you.”

“... Like  _ me _ .”

There was a smile on her face and a light in her eyes that Kristoff had been so desperately missing. “You’re… you’re  _ brilliant _ , and you’ll have no problems getting up from this. And…” He leaned a little closer as his hands dragged down her skin to clasp her fingers in his, holding them tightly between their chests. “I believe in you, so much. Whatever I can do to help, whatever you  _ need _ . I’m your guy.” 

Anna’s whole body shifted with the deep breath she took in and released, as her eyelids fluttered and she bit at her lip. He wanted to kiss her, but first he wanted to make sure she was  _ okay _ .

“I have no doubt that you’ll come back from this better than ever. Whatever job you find after this.” Blue eyes rose to meet his, and he felt a warmth growing in his chest. All he wanted from this day forward was for her to be so  _ happy _ , no matter how that came to be. “What can I do?”

She slid her hands out from his and reached forward to stroke soft thumbs over his cheekbones. “You’re already doing it.” Moving to kneel, Anna shifted forward on the bed to settle between his thighs. “Thank you,” she hummed, before pressing her lips against his. It was chaste and soft and slow, and Kristoff felt his lips stretching into a smile under hers.

“Anytime,” he murmured, lifting his hands to rest on her hips. 

It was different this time as she kissed him. It was different as she wrapped her arms around his neck. And it was different as she looked at him, something new and exciting and  _ raw _ in her eyes, before laying back and encouraging him to join her. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I…” Her eyes darted across his face, and she reached one hand up to cup his jaw. “I want to.”

“Not…” He had to make sure. “Not like  _ before _ , right? Not just to escape?”

Anna smiled, and shook her head. “No. I just… want to be with you right now.” Her plush bottom lip was caught between her teeth again as she stroked her thumb across his skin. “I… I think I’ve realized something.”

He nodded, bracing his weight on his elbows as he leaned down to continue. 

And finally, it was so, so  _ different _ , the way they moved together, softly, slowly, cherishing the moment and the comfort of one another as they found a new rhythm that no longer felt like it used to. It no longer felt like just sex, just benefits, just friends.

It no longer felt like  _ just _ .


	30. Chapter 30

Anna tried to ignore her knuckles turning white as she gripped the steering wheel so tightly that she thought she might’ve been able to break it. This was it - her last game working for the Ice Breakers, and her last time getting to joke around with the boys she had grown so fond of. It wasn’t  _ fair _ , but she knew better than to fight. Her father would just treat her like a petulant child and it wouldn’t change his mind anyway.

_ You’re never going to grow up, are you? _

She  _ had _ grown up. But she was starting to think no matter what she made of herself, she would never be able to be exactly what  _ he _ wanted her to be. Anna didn’t know what he wanted from her anymore. Nothing she ever did would be good enough for him.

But she was starting to be okay with that.

_ You cooked up this whole scheme so you could sleep around again, just like in LA. _

No. She had  _ agreed _ to someone else’s plan to help out someone who didn’t deserve her fathers’ wrath. She had  _ agreed _ to help because it was the right thing to do. The rest had simply  _ happened _ .

And now… look where she had ended up.

Because of the  _ scheme _ , Anna was finally with a man she knew  _ loved _ her. Even if he didn’t say it. Even if nothing was  _ official _ . 

He had come over the second she asked, knew she was trying to escape her own worries, stopped it, and then actually managed to make her feel  _ better _ . He had caressed her and worshipped her and whispered about how  _ special _ and amazing she was as he satisfied her every need. He had stayed with her all night, comforted her and made her laugh and ran to the store to get her her favorite snacks and they had just spent hours upon hours just…  _ talking _ , and joking, and watching dumb movies that he let her pick out.

And in the end, he held her close and tucked her messy hair behind her ears and told her - assured her - that everything was going to be fine as they curled together on her too-small bed.

And then he kissed her, for the millionth time that night, and she knew he was right.

This hadn’t been what she wanted to do with her life. This hadn’t been her dream. She had been dragged away from everything she knew and thrown into a small town and given a job because her  _ daddy _ was the owner. She had felt obligated to be grateful, to be so, so overjoyed that her father had trusted her enough to give her this opportunity. 

But, in the end, it wasn’t a job that meant very much, and it wasn’t a job that he had worried much about her screwing up. It was a throwaway, much like she had always been to him. Just a way to keep her busy and out of what he considered to be trouble, she supposed.

_You’ve always been such a pain to restrain, you know that?_ _I’ve cleaned up more of your messes than I can count_.

Then Anna had begun to remember the  _ messes _ he had cleaned up. Like the time her second grade teacher had physically disciplined her because she kept walking around the room, unable to focus. Or the time she punched a boy when she was fourteen because he grabbed her breast even after she had told him no. Even when she was seventeen and a professor had promised her a good grade in exchange for something  _ special _ , and threatened to fail her if she hadn’t complied. 

And he had thrown money at them, and told her she needed to stop being so  _ provocative. _

She hadn’t realized the implications at the time. Looking back and realizing what he had been implying, Anna could feel anger starting to bubble up in her stomach. 

A short knock on her window startled her and she swung her head around so fast she could’ve sworn she had given herself whiplash, but she let out an audible sigh of relief when it was just Kristoff, hunched over and smiling softly at her through the glass.

“You okay?”

He was muffled, but she could still hear the concern lacing his words. 

_ You’re going to go out there tomorrow, and you’re going to show your idiot father exactly what he’s giving up _ .

Anna unbuckled herself and got out quickly, practically throwing her body into his waiting arms. He had left early this morning - not because he  _ wanted _ to, but because he really had needed to go to morning skate and get home for a solid nap to make sure he was up for playing tonight. They were playing the Stallions again, and he knew it would be a tough fight. Luckily, the second she was back in his embrace, Anna could feel all the day’s tension draining from her body.

“Hey,” Kristoff mumbled into her hair, dropping his duffel as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “How’re you feeling?”

She pulled back just enough to catch his gaze. “A lot better, actually. I…” Her hands came from behind his neck to lay gently on his cheeks. “Thank you. I can’t… I’m not even sure how to express how much last night meant.”

There was a hemming sound from beside them that sounded enough like her father to catch her off guard, but Anna knew he didn’t care enough to  _ be _ here for her last night. Looking behind Kristoff, she physically relaxed when she saw Sven laughing and winking as he walked by. “Shut up, Pederson!”

“Stop being nasty, Arne!” He spun on his heel to keep looking at them as he walked towards the arena. “Bjorgman, don’t tire yourself out - there’s still plenty of hockey to be played in there.” He threw his thumb over his shoulder. “Even if it’s less fun than the hockey you’re playing out _ here _ .”

Anna couldn’t help the snort that blew through her nose and looked up just in time to see Kristoff rolling his eyes as he turned his head back to face her. “He’s fucking annoying. Don’t know why I put up with him.” The smile teasing at his lips was enough to make her heart beat harder behind her ribs.

She loved him, so much.

And she wasn’t sure what was going to happen if she had to leave.

—

It had thrown her off when her father _ had _ actually shown his face at this game. She was coming back from getting mic’d to listen to Coach Mattias’ pep talk, when she heard his voice call her name. “Anna.” 

It was so  _ empty _ . When she turned to face him and saw the lack of empathy on his features, she felt herself growing angry all over again.

“Yes?”

He rolled his eyes. “I trust that you won’t be doing anything…  _ drastic _ tonight?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Anna felt her frown deepen. “Like what? Tell everyone how you’ve fired me unfairly? Explain that you’re taking the word of a - frankly, quite horrid - person over mine? Or do you think I’d just strip naked and fuck my boyfriend in the middle of the rink.”

“ _ Anna _ .” His voice was barely a hiss.

“Well you seem to think pretty lowly of me,  _ father _ .” His eyes were narrowed as he stared her down, as if daring her to make a wrong move. “Well,” she breathed, straightening her back and dropping her hands back to her sides. “Lucky for you,  _ here _ I am a professional, and I’d never risk ruining  _ anyone’s _ livelihood.” 

She heard his voice again in the back of her head.

_ You’re coming back home, where I can keep an eye on you. _

“And…” She felt herself stutter slightly as she tried to keep her composure. “I’m not coming back home. I… I like living on my own. I like living  _ here _ . And…” She kept her eyes locked onto his, channeling her strongest will to dare him to challenge her. “That’s final.”

He hardly scoffed. As if he didn’t want to make a scene. “We’ll see.”

And she stood there, waiting, shaking slightly in her skin as he walked away, not letting herself deflate until he was out of sight. Anna could feel panic rising in her throat, threatening to boil over into a full-blown attack. She had made it so  _ concrete _ . She hadn’t given herself an ounce of wiggle room. If she didn’t have a job, she wouldn’t even be able to afford her tiny box of an apartment. What was she going to --

“Anna?”

Oh, she  _ adored _ that voice.

“You said you were coming down for --” She turned to face him and he paused, his eyebrows knitting together. “What’s wrong?”

There was a sad smile pulling on her lips. “My father is here.”

“I thought --”

“Yeah, me too.” Kristoff clambered forward, his full gear clearly hindering him off the ice, and wrapped her into a warm hug, only made slightly awkward by the stiff blocker digging into her back. “I guess he wanted to make sure I left peacefully.”

“What an asshole. Want me to fire a puck at his face?”

She snorted as she nodded into his chest, leaning into his warmth. “Yeah, honey. Knock his teeth out.”

He leaned back just enough to look at her. Anna could see small tears brimming on his bottom lashes, and she had never felt more cared for. “Hey, just go out there, and do what you do. We’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.”

Anna lifted herself to her tippy toes, not even close to tall enough to reach him when he had skates on, as she puckered her lips just slightly to let him know exactly what it was she wanted. He met her halfway with a grin, and she relished the tenderness of this kiss. “You’re amazing,” he mumbled against her as they parted.

For the first time, she was starting to believe it.

—

Kristoff was playing erratically tonight.

There was a ferocity in his game that Anna was unfamiliar with as he dove and hit and bodily put himself between other players and the net. He was absolutely on  _ fire _ , and Anna couldn’t help but gush about him to every single person she was speaking to that night. But it was far from his usual play style, and when it didn’t let up, she found herself growing a little further to the  _ worried _ side of the meter.

It didn’t help that they were playing Hans’ team, and that Warren was being a little weasel.

During warm-ups, Kristoff had come over towards her to say something, and suddenly a puck was ricocheting off of the glass right next to them. She had jumped, startled, and when Kristoff’s head snapped around, he caught the last glimpse of Warren making some sort of gesture towards Hans. 

Mattias was screaming at him for not being more careful, and he simply apologized and said it wouldn’t happen again.

Anna heard him mutter something under his breath, something she could have sworn was along the lines of wanting that asshole off the team, but she couldn’t be sure. Kristoff lowered his head to meet her, his gloves pressing into her shoulders. “You good?”

She nodded, trying her best to ignore the new prickle of anxiety on the back of her neck. “You?”

“Want to strangle him, but that’s nothing new.”

Anna had laughed, but now as she watched him play, she wasn’t so sure he had been kidding.

Not a single puck had gotten by him in the last two periods and you could  _ see _ the tension growing between the two teams. Westergaard had broken two sticks so far trying to land a slapshot as fast as possible, hoping just sheer force would get one past the brick wall that was Kristoff Bjorgman. He continued to have no luck.

It wasn’t until the third period that things started getting dirty.

There were more unnecessary hits, more high sticks and elbows and roughing and penalties being called left and right. Anna had stayed on the edge of her seat the whole time, grimacing everytime a puck came close to hitting Kristoff’s mask. 

With eleven minutes to spare, Anna noticed something strange happening in the Stallions’ huddle. Something venomous spread across the face of their forwards, and Anna tapped nervously on the arm of Sven. “Hey - um… I’ve just got a really bad feeling --”

“Huh?”

He looked at her for about half a second before both of their eyes turned back to the ice, the Stallions racing to their goal with ease. The positioning seemed normal enough, but Kristoff’s eyes were locked on the men passing the puck back and forth in front of him. There were players behind him, players he didn’t see, and Anna gripped at the boards with tense fingers, watching as Westergaard started speeding up the wing.

In a flash, the puck was shot, rebounding to the side, and Kristoff was looking for it for just a  _ second _ as Hans came forward, scored, and didn’t  _ stop _ . He crashed into the goalie, full force as he jumped into the air, stick up in  _ celebration _ , and practically tackled Kristoff to the ground.

There was a thud as his head hit the ice.

Kristoff did not move.

Sven was out there in a flash, grabbing fistfuls of jersey, and landing one clean punch against Hans’ jaw as other teammates followed, and medical ran out more carefully behind them.

Kristoff still wasn’t moving. 

The refs were blowing whistles, always nervous to get between angry hockey players throwing fists, and eventually Anna could see his mask off to the side, his legs moving just  _ slightly _ as the medical team moved him onto his side. Sven abandoned the fight, his gloves long forgotten, as he knelt down behind Kristoff, gently helping them turn him.

It was dead silent in the rink. 

She begged, her fingers clenching the edge of the boards even tighter, for him to just _get up_. If he could skate _himself_ off the ice, it wasn’t that bad. If he would just get the _hell_ _up_ , she wouldn’t be so worried…

Get up, god damn it, get  _ up _ .


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, I've never had a concussion so I did *some* research but don't come at me if I've gotten something wrong hhahahah.

Anna was sprinting down the hall, faster than she had ever thought imaginable in heels. They had counted the goal as good even though they gave Westergaard a minor penalty, and the whole arena had booed at the decision. It only took Honeymaren a few minutes to get down to the ice, and she immediately waved Anna off with a look of remorse. 

In the end, he  _ had _ gotten up, but only with the assistance of Sven and two medics, and skated himself off of the ice  _ very _ slowly, but at least he was  _ moving _ . Sven had only managed to come back for the last few minutes, but the rest of the team put their best foot forward to play even harder and shut down the Stallions. When she left, she could’ve sworn she heard a screaming match starting between the coaches.

The arena was going wild as she ran into the locker room, and she could only assume the Ice Breakers had scored again, almost guaranteeing the win. Good. The Stallions would not have  _ deserved _ this game.

“Kristoff?” Anna called, making her way back to the training room. She peered around the corner, knocking lightly on the opened door. He smiled the second he saw her, but she could tell something wasn’t right.

“Hi baby,” he hummed, but his words were just a touch slurred. “Did we win?”

She shook her head and looked up at the medic who was frowning just slightly as he examined Kristoff for other injuries. Anna tried her best to ignore the bandages on his eyebrow and cheek. “Game’s not over yet, honey.”

“Oh, I should probably get back out --”

The medic sighed, rolling his shoulders. “No, Bjorgman, you’ve got a concussion. You’re not going back out there.”

“I have a what?”

Anna frowned deeper and stepped into the room. “Is this normal?” She watched Kristoff’s nose scrunch as he looked around for a moment, as if trying to make sense of what was going on around him. 

“I wouldn’t say  _ normal _ .” He definitely had no interest in humoring her. “But standard for a concussion. It’s fresh so the disorientation is… not  _ too _ concerning, at least.” He finished scribbling some notes and turned to face her. “I’m assuming you’re his girlfriend?”

“Um, yes,” she nodded, her attention spacing for a moment as Kristoff grabbed her hand gently and squeezed at her fingers. “Is it… should we go to the hospital?”

“Ah, I wouldn’t…” He tapped his pen against his chin. “It doesn’t seem that bad. He said he has a headache and he’s definitely a little confused about what happened…” The medic moved to scratch at the back of his head and shrugged. “But his recall otherwise is fine, and he’s not nauseated and he’s conscious so…” 

He handed her a notepad and explained everything on it. “These are the things I did and his scores, if you want to run through it with him again every four to six hours or so for the first twenty-four, make sure it’s not getting worse… If it does, then yeah, go to the hospital.”

“Can… can he sleep? Or… I’ve heard you shouldn’t sleep right away --”

“That’s been debunked, luckily.” He dropped the clipboard he had been holding on the table and turned to face her. “Look, ah, just… monitor him. Don’t let him sleep  _ if _ it’s getting worse, and if you’re really concerned, wake him up every three hours or so to check in. Before you let him sleep, make sure his pupils aren’t dilated, that he can walk and talk fine, and you should be okay.”

Anna felt her heart finally starting to calm.

“But, honestly, it doesn’t seem too bad. I know Bjorgman’s had a concussion before worse than this so, just monitor it.”

Anna nodded and thanked him, waiting for the man to leave before she turned to face Kristoff. A small smile stretched at her lips as he gazed down at her from the exam table. 

“Hi, baby,” he tried again, clearly a little annoyed that he hadn’t been getting her undivided attention as he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “You okay?”

“Are  _ you _ okay?” She reached up to stroke his face, avoiding the cut on his cheekbone. “You got hit pretty bad.”

He nodded. “Feels like it.”

“Do you remember?” She watched his eyes dart back and forth, doing his best to recall the actual event, but his furrowed brows gave him away. “That’s okay, sweetheart.” She leaned up to place a small kiss on the side of his mouth. “You’ll remember after some sleep.”

The medics had managed to remove most of his gear, but they still took a moment to carefully get him into sweats and a t-shirt before heading out. Anna left his stuff in his cubby, figuring she could enlist Sven to help her come get it tomorrow, and led Kristoff out towards the car.

His voice came from above her, weak and sad and clearly still a little confused. “Can you stay with me?”

“Of course, honey,” she sighed, pressing her forehead against his arm that had been draped across her shoulders. “As long as you want me to.”

He nodded and she helped him into the passenger seat of her car, doing their best not to jostle him around too much. She knew the drive to his house was smooth, and had never been more grateful to drive down more private roads. 

—

When they got to his house, Anna had drawn him a warm bath, told him to relax, and ordered some food in case he came out hungry. He hadn’t said anything about nausea, so she had her fingers crossed and was hoping for the best as she set the hefty burrito bowls down on the kitchen counter.

“Babe?” She asked, thirty minutes later when he still hadn’t emerged. “Are you okay?”

She opened the door and sighed with relief. He had just fallen asleep, his cheek resting against his arm propped up over the side of the tub. But she knew this wouldn’t be comfortable for long. 

Anna stepped into the bathroom slowly, knelt down beside the tub, and stroked gently at his damp hair. “Kristoff,” she tried, softly as his eyebrows twitched below her fingers. “Baby…” A little louder, and one of his eyes cracked open just slightly. “Hello, honey,” she hummed, laying her palm against his cheek as he lifted his head. “Did the nap help?”

He rolled his shoulders and sighed, but nodded his head just a little. “Concussions suck.” His voice was hardly a whisper, and Anna pressed a kiss against his bare shoulder.

“I can imagine.” Then, a twisting of her lips. “Can you remember anything?”

A small shrug. “A little, I think.” 

“That’s okay, that’s good.” Anna let her hand drop from his cheek to rest flat on his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart. “I got some food if you’re hungry.”

Kristoff nodded and moved to stand, wincing just a little as he moved. Anna could see a large bruise forming on his ribs, no doubt where Hans’s knees had hit, and felt ready to strangle the asshole herself. “What’d you get?”

His eyes were soft and exhausted as he looked down at her, smiling when she offered him a hand to step out of the tub. “Burrito bowls. I figured they keep pretty well if you weren’t --” His stomach let out a large growl, and Anna chuckled. “Guess I got the right thing.”

“Hey,” his hand holding hers squeezed just a little and she looked back up at him, smiling as he brought his arms up around her neck for a hug. She pressed her cheek against his chest, not even concerned about his still-wet skin soaking her clothing as she wrapped her arms around his waist, and just took a moment to be grateful things weren’t  _ worse _ . “Thank you.” 

She wanted to tell him. God she  _ wanted to tell him _ . 

But it didn’t feel  _ right _ . Not yet. Not when there was a chance he might forget.

“Of course,” Anna smiled, pulling back just a little. “Now get dressed and come get some food.”

Kristoff nodded and moved to grab his towel, grinning. “Yes ma’am.”

When he came out of the bathroom, Kristoff had realized how much the short hug had soaked her clothing, and immediately offered her something more comfortable. So he was in clean sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, and she was in a pair of shorts she had happened to leave here, and one of his smaller tees that still managed to hang well past her hips. 

The paperwork she had been given had a whole list of things to avoid, and it included  _ all _ electronics. So they sat in relative silence as they ate, and Anna promised to run out and get some games that didn’t involve screens in the morning. Kristoff complained that he’d normally be reading, but Anna pointed to the list and sighed, telling him it was on the  _ what not to do  _ list. 

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “I did it last time and it was fine.”

“Well, I’m saying no. Because the doctor says no.”

Anna was smiling though, even as he put up a front of annoyance, because with every passing hour she could  _ see _ more clarity in him, as if just having someone to talk to was enough to help things start to come together for him. “But, if you want, I can read to you?”

Kristoff looked like he was holding back a smile. “I guess.”

But he hopped up quickly, insisting she leave the plates for tomorrow, and picked out a clearly well-loved copy of  _ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes _ . Somehow, him being a fan of the great detective surprised her. “Really?”

He snorted and led her to the couch, sitting on one end, waiting patiently for her to settle beside him. “It was my dad’s - not  _ that _ one, my adoptive one - favorite and he read these stories to us every night. So…” He smiled and leaned forward, an almost childish glee on his face as he laid his head into her lap. “They’re comforting.”

Anna smiled and began to stroke her fingers through his hair, smiling as he closed his eyes and clasped his hands together on his chest. “I like them all,” he mumbled, shrugging. “Pick whichever one you’d like.”

She flipped delicately through the pages and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Ah, how about…” She propped the book up on the armchair to make sure her one hand stayed free to continue their path across his scalp. “ _ The Red-Headed League. _ ”

Kristoff didn’t quite find her little joke funny, but rolled his eyes and let a smile stretch his lips. “Sure, perfect.”

A soft throat-clear and she began. 

“ _ I had called upon my friend, Mr Sherlock Holmes, one day in the autumn of last year… _ ”

—

Anna woke up to a soft ringing by her head. She slid her hand around the armrest in a quiet attempt to find the offending device without jostling the man sleeping on her top of her too much. Finally getting it between her fingers, she silenced it before even looking at the caller ID.

She sighed with relief. “Hi, Sven,” she whispered, letting her free hand fall back to scratch lightly at Kristoff’s skull. 

“Hey. How’s he doing?”

A sense of guilt suddenly filled her throat at not even having thought to reach out to Sven earlier. “Oh, god I’m sorry. He’s…” she looked down and couldn’t help but smile. He had turned to his stomach, his whole body wrapped around hers as his cheek rested right right over her heart. “He’s sleeping. Seems all right.”

“Not too much disorientation? Memory okay?”

Anna chuckled, and decided it best to help lighten the weight on his shoulders. “He still remembers all the love and adoration he has for you, don’t you worry.”

Sven sighed, a small laugh echoing hers. “Well, good. I wouldn’t even let amnesia make him forget me.” There was a short lull, and he let out another heavy breath. “Hey, Anna… Thank you for taking care of him.”

She hadn’t even considered  _ not _ taking care of him. “I… it’s really nothing I --”

“I don’t just mean right now… I mean…” He laughed, as if he was hesitating for a moment. “I’ve never seen him so happy. You…” He sighed, and Anna’s hand stilled in Kristoff’s hair. “You’re perfect for him, and I’m so happy you’ve come into our lives. And like,” he groaned, and she tried to ignore the tears she felt brimming her eyelashes. “I love you, and I know… how he feels. Even if he hasn’t said it yet.”

Anna’s mouth was contorted as she tried to hold back the sob she felt in her throat. “Well what the hell, Pederson. I’ve done so well at not crying today.”

“Well now it’s time, baby girl!”

They laughed together, and Anna couldn’t help but hum out a soft “Love you, too, Reindeer boy.”

“Ah, I’m never going to live that one down am I?”

“No way.” Kristoff started to move, his fingers flexing against her ribs. “Ah, sorry, I gotta go, he’s waking up --”

“Yeah, of course. Tell him I love him.”

“Absolutely.”

Before Anna had even finished hanging up, she felt Kristoff’s head lift from her chest, felt his whole body slide across hers, and felt his breath ghosting over her lips. “Who was that?” he hummed, his eyes slowly coming back into focus.

“Oh, just Sven. Making sure you still loved him.”

Kristoff chuckled and leaned forward, pressing a chaste kiss to her mouth. Well, at least it  _ started _ out innocently enough. With a heavy sigh and deep regret, Anna pushed his shoulders back just slightly. “I think all of  _ that _ would qualify as unnecessary physical exertion. And that’s --”

“Not allowed, I know,” he groaned, dropping his head into the crook of her neck. 

She laughed and careded her fingers through his hair. “Just for forty eight hours. Then we can give it a go.” When he let out a noise of annoyance against her, Anna tsked and rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you go without for like…  _ years _ ? Don’t be such a baby about two days.”

“Well, It wasn’t on the table for those years.”

“Please.” She knew he had women throwing themselves at him. She’d heard plenty of stories.

“Fine. I didn’t have  _ you _ on the table. Or the bed. Or the truck.”

Anna snorted. “Let’s go to bed, yeah?” She probably shouldn’t humor this because she was not confident she’d be able to say  _ no _ for too long. “You clearly need some rest.”

Kristoff sighed and gave up the fight before climbing off of her and moving back towards the bedroom, immediately lowering himself onto the plush mattress. Anna followed, gave him a quick kiss, and promised she would join him after she cleaned up the kitchen.

He was out before she even shut off the light.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you've all waited long enough for this chapter, and I'm so, so grateful to all of u for sticking around through all the nonsense.
> 
> We're almost to the end here, lads. Thank u for coming along this journey with me :')

It had been two days and no other symptoms had arisen, so Kristoff felt pretty safe to start doing some  _ light _ activities. He set a silent alarm, got up at the crack of dawn, did his best not to wake Anna, and then headed out for a short, slow walk around the neighborhood. The brisk air was doing wonders for him, and he felt a sigh of relief wash over his whole body as he took in a deep breath. 

He was so,  _ so  _ grateful for Anna, but she had become just a little bit on the side of unbearable over the last few days. At first it had been cute - a little tease and a little game. If the list said no, she said no. He’d pout and she’d kiss him and he’d let her win the disagreement, then she’d kiss him again and say thank you and he’d let it go. But then he told her he had been feeling a lot better - his headache was easing, there was no more dizziness, and he was able to stay awake for much longer intervals. But she was still insistent.

The thing was, he’s had worse injuries than this, and he always worked through them alone. It wasn’t that he didn’t like having this wonderful woman doting on him, but he felt…  _ guilty _ . There was no need for it, he was  _ fine _ , and Anna had her own things to worry about. There wasn’t any reason she should be focusing so much of her attention on him.

He had even tried yesterday, to ask how she was feeling - what she wanted to do, if she wanted to talk about it. But she had shut him down saying there would be time to talk about it later, really, and he should just worry about getting better. Kristoff dropped it because he wasn’t sure if it might lead to an argument, but she seemed relieved so he supposed he had made the right choice. 

After about an hour, the sun was fully risen and his neighbors were starting to emerge, so Kristoff figured it was just about time to make his way back home. He hadn’t taken two steps through the doorway before he heard her feet running on the wood floor. “Hey ba-- Anna?”

She had tears in her eyes and her hands were on his face and she was frantic as she scanned her eyes up and down his body. 

“Anna, baby, what’s  _ wrong _ ?”

“I… I didn’t know where you  _ were _ .” She swallowed and locked her eyes onto him, panic evident. “I woke up and you were gone I… I was so worried. Are you okay?”

He felt his hackles raise. This was bordering on ridiculous. “Come on, I just went for a  _ walk _ .” He grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands to rest between them. “You’ve got to calm down. I’m not going to  _ die _ .”

Her brows furrowed as she looked at anything but him and he felt a small hint of guilt seep into his irritation. “I…” she pulled her hands from his grip and crossed them across her chest. “I  _ know _ , I… I just…” More tears welled up in her eyes as she tried her best to subtly wipe at them. “You were so motionless. You didn’t  _ move _ . I thought… I didn’t  _ know _ …”

Ah, fuck. 

Immediately moving forward, Kristoff pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m sorry.” He knew how it looked, how it  _ felt _ , to watch someone you cared about get hurt like that. He should have  _ known _ she had some reason to react the way she had been. He should have been more aware. He sighed with relief when her arms tightened around his waist. “I’m sorry, baby.”

Over breakfast that morning, after they had talked through her worries a little more, Kristoff simply grinned and said “you know, they recommend light exercise. Nothing strenuous, but as long as it isn’t making things worse, doctors think it helps concussion recovery.” Her eyes narrowed and he shrugged. “You should come with me. Then you’ll know I’m good.”

Anna had twisted her lips to the side as if to stop from smiling, and nodded. “I’d like that.” Then, after a moment of hesitation, “you’re okay with me coming along? I know… I know I’ve been a lot… I’d understand if you wanted some time alone.”

Kristoff felt something in his chest, felt an absolute warmth spread through his veins as he realized that,  _ fuck _ , he never wanted alone time. Not anymore. Not from Anna. Everything was better by miles when she was with him. 

“No, Anna. I always want you around.”

Her eyelashes fluttered as her cheeks darkened and a soft smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. “... Okay.”

It hit him then, as she popped a forkful of pancake between her lips, still smiling up at him with a new glimmer in her eye, that he was  _ ready _ . He was so fucking ready because any more time spent with Anna not knowing how much he loved her was time wasted.

But he needed it to be perfect. He needed the day, just the rest of the day, to figure out what he wanted to say. Then he’d tell her tonight over dinner and… 

He just hoped she’d say it back. 

—

Kristoff had been feeling a little run-down so he had settled in for a quick nap after their late lunch. He knew the both of them and knew very well that they wouldn’t actually go to bed until after midnight, so he figured a short little power nap at three wouldn’t hinder his ability to sleep tonight  _ too _ badly. But he couldn't sleep anyway. His mind was going too quick and it was too frazzled to even attempt to settle down. 

Maybe the focus and stress weren’t exactly  _ good _ for him, but he could only imagine how much better he’d feel once she  _ knew _ . He had been hiding it for months, locking it away somewhere he only knew, and it was about time he let her in on the not-so-little secret. 

The problem was, how on  _ earth _ was he supposed to tell her? 

He couldn’t be casual about it, not  _ now _ . The three little words were so important to both of them, and he knew he couldn’t just drop a nonchalant  _ I love you _ . It wouldn’t be  _ enough _ .

No, he had to tell her how much she changed his  _ life _ . How much he admired her. How much she truly meant to him. And he had to do it in a way that didn’t make him sound so fucking stupid.

Kristoff dragged a pillow over his face and groaned. He had never been the best with words, not even when it really mattered, and he hated how much he knew he was going to fuck this up. How hard was it to formulate a coherent sentence letting someone know how truly special they were? How hard was it to just fucking tell a girl you loved her?

He could say,  _ Anna, I know we’ve been dancing this line for months, but I need you to know that I love you. _

No.

He could try,  _ Baby, you’ve changed my life, and I’ve loved every minute of our time together _ .

Fucking no!

_ Anna, you’re the most beautiful, brilliant, amazing woman that has ever graced this earth. _

Too much.

_ Anna, you’re the most spectacular person I know.  _

Better

_ I can’t imagine my life without you. _

Close.

_ I’m in love with you _ .

Simple.

Good.

Throwing the pillow to the floor, Kristoff stretched just a little before he got out of the bed. He had a couple more hours to really nail it down, and he knew, deep down, that it didn’t matter  _ what _ he said… It was the heart behind it that mattered most. With a sigh, he stepped back out into the hallway and padded down to the living room as quietly as possible. He was honestly surprised that he didn’t hear the television on. He was surprised that he didn’t hear much of anything, actually. Anna usually hated silence.

He peered around the corner, not wanting to risk waking her if she had fallen asleep, and was almost hurt by what he saw in front of him. She was sitting on his laptop at the table, red eyed and puffy cheeked, tearstained and sniffling as she scrolled downwards, wiping an irritated fist at her face. “Seriously?” she let out a heavy breath and rolled her neck back, jumping when she saw him.

“Oh, hi!” Her demeanor changed instantly. “You feel all right? How was the nap?”

“Anna.”

She pushed the chair out and turned her back to him as she wiped at her face. “Want some tea? I was just about to make some.”

“ _ Anna _ .”

She darted into the kitchen, ignoring him completely. “Two sugar? Any milk? I like mine sweet but I know you’re not a sweets guy I just can’t remember if you want  _ milk _ …”

Kristoff stepped forward and came up behind her in the kitchen, bracing one arm on either side of her petite frame. He was almost grateful she had stopped talking. He hated when she got avoidant and would do anything for her to just talk to him about what was going on. He leaned down just enough to rest his chin on her shoulder and press his cheek against hers. “Baby,” he sighed, wrapping his arms around her as she settled back into his embrace. “What’s going on?”

“I…” He closed his eyes when her fingers started scratching lightly against his forearms. “I’m worried that I won’t find a job, and if I can’t find a job, then I can’t afford my apartment, and if I can’t afford my apartment, then I have to move back  _ home _ . And If I have to move back there, then my father was just right about  _ me _ and about _ everything _ and then I’ll be far away from  _ here _ and what if you only like me because I’m just  _ here _ and if I leave what if everything changes and I  _ lose _ all of you and --”

A hiccupping sob cut her off. 

“Ah, jeez, Anna…” He started walking them towards the couch, smiling at her small laugh as he rocked her whole body back and forth as they walked. “All right, let’s…” They sat together, her immediately drawing her legs up to lay over his lap as she pressed her forehead into his neck. “Let’s talk this out.”

“Okay…”

Kristoff began tracing his fingers up and down her bare leg, every so often squeezing gently at her skin. “So… job.”

Anna sniffled.

“You didn’t really wanna do the whole television personality thing, right?”

She nodded.

“You’ve got a degree in… Graphic design, yeah?”

She nodded again, laughing. “I can’t believe you remembered that.”

“Well,” he pressed a soft kiss against her hairline. “Things about you are hard to forget.” He smiled when she laughed, grateful for the positive reaction. “Right so… Is that something you wanted to do?” 

She nodded. “I always thought I’d enjoy doing marketing and stuff like that. Or… like, concept work. I don’t know.”

“All right, well, why don’t you take some time then? Figure it out? You…” His arm wrapped around her back squeezed a little tighter. “You deserve to take time to figure out what  _ you _ want, you know that right?” 

A moment of silence and a nod. 

“But… money… and my  _ apartment _ …”

Kristoff shrugged, words tumbling from his lips before he even knew what he was saying. “I mean, I’ve got a spare room. You can just move in here for a bit if you want to. You…” Then it hit him, and he felt his whole face scrunch up. Oh fuck oh fuck oh  _ fuck _ .

Anna was sitting up, her brows raised as she looked over his face, but he immediately turned his eyes to stare at the carpet. Fuck he was so fucking  _ stupid _ . 

“That… Do you mean that?”

He felt his cheeks grow hotter. “I mean. Yeah. If you want. And like, I’ve got the spare room so you’d have your own space. And you’re here most nights anyway?” Oh stop  _ talking _ you idiot. “It’s, I mean, obviously,” a laugh, “up to you? But yeah I mean, it wouldn’t… put me out or anything and it would give you some flexibility? And… I don’t know. I just… yeah.”

Kristoff risked one glance up at her from the corner of his eye and felt like he was going to have a heart attack. He couldn’t read her, couldn’t even come close to figuring out what she was thinking.

“Can you say something now?”

Her palm was on his cheek and she was turning him gently to face her. “I’m…” She swallowed and let out a wet laugh before she smiled. “I’m going to say something and… And you don’t have to say it back, okay?”

Wait. Hang on. He was supposed to do this  _ first _ . He wanted to be the first to say it, wanted to fucking say it before he asked her to fucking  _ move in _ and shit, he was the  _ worst at this _ .

He nodded anyway.

“I… am so in love with you… and I…  _ shit _ .”

Kristoff let out a heavy sigh as he smiled. God, that was genuinely the most amazing thing he had ever heard in his entire life. He wanted to hear it over and over and fucking over again. 

“I want to be with you all --”

“Wait.” He clapped his hand over her mouth before immediately removing it and apologizing at her shocked eyes. “Sorry. Okay, wait. I’ve… I messed this up.”

Her smile faltered just slightly. “... Do you not want me to move in? Because… that’s  _ okay _ .”

“Oh, jesus, god, no.” He was shaking his head rapidly before realizing how dumb that was and that his headache had just slightly worsened from the movement. “No, I want that  _ so _ much.”

Anna nodded, her eyes growing a little worried. “Okay. So…”

“I’ve… literally been trying to figure out how to tell you the same thing all day.” He pushed his hair out of his face and turned to look at her, the blush on her cheeks glowing under her freckles.

“... What?”

“You beat me to it. And I went out of order.” His hand lifted to scratch at the back of his neck. “I probably should have told you I loved you before I asked you to move in -- wait, god damn it.” He’d never get this right, would he?

“You love me?” That  _ sparkle _ in her eyes was breathtaking.

“Fuck, wait. Of course I do. But I… was planning this whole… speech. Hang on.” He shifted them then, lifting one leg onto the couch so he could properly face her, and took both of her hands into his. “You’re… You’re genuinely the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met. Anna, you’re kind, and beautiful, and brave, and  _ funny _ , and you… Well you put up with me which makes you patient as hell. And I… I never,  _ ever _ thought I’d ever find this. But… it’s  _ you _ . It’s only you.  _ You’re _ perfect, and I don’t  _ want _ to wait anymore. I’m… I’m not scared anymore, Anna. I am so,  _ so _ in love with you I almost can’t bear it.”

He decided he had to be okay with how it happened. He wasn’t ever going to be perfect, but he knew he’d never meant anything more in his life.

And then her whole face contorted, and large tears started falling from her eyes, and fuck, he did it  _ wrong _ , because now she was crying and sobbing and “Anna baby, Anna… What did I do wrong?”

She practically leapt off the couch, into his arms, and pressed her nose into his neck. “Nothing, god, you’re… you’re  _ perfect _ . I love you so much.”

Fuck, he’d never get tired of  _ that _ .


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

It was about ten days before Kristoff felt all of his symptoms had fully subsided. He had started going for jogs a couple of days ago, but anything more than that tended to bring the headache roaring back. So he continued to take it easy, go for a short jog in the morning, and only watch an hour of tapes per day. Anything longer than that hurt his head, too.

Anna had… not so slowly started moving her things in. She didn’t have much, but he told her to put her stuff wherever she wanted, that she could make this place as much hers as she wanted. And he genuinely  _ meant _ it. His house had just been a house. He hadn’t put much thought into it beyond the comfort of his couch and bed. Decor was minimal, and everything was very much brown.

Maybe she could help him make it a  _ home _ .

Her just being there already made it closer.

—

After four weeks, they broke her lease and she had officially moved in. They figured it would help her save some more in the long run, help her skate by for just a little longer, even if he told her over and over that she didn’t need to worry about money.

But Anna hadn’t wanted to start things out  _ that _ way. She had some savings, and she could pay for things here and there, and she didn’t want him to feel like she was taking advantage. Kristoff assured her that he could never think that she was. But still, she insisted, and he told her that that was something he absolutely loved about her.

He had been able to start doing more normal exercises again. Working with the trainers was annoying, but there weren’t any headaches returning when he pushed himself like he used to. They told him if he could do this for a week without any symptoms popping up, he could get back on the ice. 

—

That week went by like a breeze, and Kristoff relished in the feel of crisp ice under his skates. There was no feeling better than being on the ice. He sighed with defeat as they told him they wanted to wait another week before they started firing pucks at him, but he grudgingly agreed. At least he was  _ skating _ .

And then, even better, he got to come home and see Anna, her hair wrapped into a bun on top of her head as she sat with her knee to her chest, drawing in an almost full sketchbook, her tongue caught between her teeth. “Hi baby,” he smiled, his heart warming as she looked up at him and used the back of her hand to push hair from her eyes. He kissed her softly as he walked past, enjoying the pure domesticity of it all. “Have a good day?”

“Oh yes! I went to that cafe downtown that we like - you know, Oaken’s Mochas and Teas?” 

He always laughed at the name. So on the  _ nose _ .

“And well, I noticed that they didn’t have any sort of logo or anything so… I don’t know. I just…” she blushed and spun around on the chair, dangling her legs off the side. “They know me and I figured what was the harm in  _ asking _ \- so I’m designing something for them now!”

His eyes widened and he took three steps forward to clear the gap between them, placing an enthusiastic kiss on her lips. “Anna, that’s so  _ great _ .” 

“They’re paying me, too!” She was giggling against his mouth, and he couldn’t help but smile. “Remember how the last place wouldn’t pay? I took it because, you know, portfolio, but I offered for free, but they  _ insisted _ .”

“I’m so proud of you, baby.”

Then her arms were around his neck and not letting go and she hummed low and slow, “how about you? Good day? Worn out?”

_ Oh _ . He was  _ never _ too worn out for  _ that _ .

He hoisted her up onto his hips, grinning like a madman as they moved backwards to his bedroom. Well,  _ their _ bedroom. She never did sleep in the spare room.

—

He was growing slightly frustrated at the week-by-week status, but he knew this was his second head injury, and they wanted to be more careful this time around. But only progressing to the next step after a whole  _ week _ was growing agonizing. At least he was doing non-contact now, grinning from ear to ear as he slapped each puck out of midair.

God it felt so fucking  _ good _ to be back like this.

Anna had come with him today to spend some time with Honeymaren while they practiced, and he could hear her whooping from the stands. Every time he made a save, “that’s my baby!” Every time someone scored on him, “you’ll get it next time honey!”

It was the most endearing thing ever, as she jumped up and waved her hands in the air, as if it were an actual game. As if it weren’t just  _ her _ in the stands, cheering him on during a  _ practice _ .

God he loved her so much.

—

Finally they were letting him practice back in a regular jersey. No more no-contact. He was fortunate that goalies rarely got touched anyway, but now they guys weren’t holding back anymore. Slapshots and more risky wraparounds and pucks fired in a way that made him dive were becoming the norm again, and he felt so damn good with every puck he saved. 

Shot by shot, the rust was shaking off, and Kristoff felt ready to get back in a game. It was almost April, and he  _ needed _ to be playoff ready. They had promised him he’d be back in by March 20th, which gave him a little under three weeks of in-game play before the playoffs started. They were  _ so close _ to a playoff spot, and he knew that he could help them win it.

But he wouldn’t rush, and he was going to trust the physicians on staff, and take it slow. 

If for no other reason than  _ Anna _ .

He knew she was worried about him getting back in. But they weren’t playing the Stallions yet - they had at least until the Eastern Conference, and by then he would undoubtedly be a one hundred percent. Plus, the guys had his back, and, he couldn’t help but laugh about it,  _ Warren _ had been scratched for the rest of the season. Coach’s decision.

—

Right on the promised date, Kristoff was starting in net against Tampa, and the  _ literal _ electricity in the arena had him amped up beyond belief. Their whole team was working together like a well oiled machine, and he hadn’t realized what a vital cog he was to the whole operation until he had been  _ gone _ . Even if it had just been in practice, he already felt the connection, and he knew this game would be easily won.

Anna had threatened him with an indefinite  _ withhold _ if he didn’t let her come on the roadie, so she was up in their box, undoubtedly screaming along to every play, and just knowing she was in the arena made his game  _ that _ much better. 

They won, 5-2, and dog-piled in the middle of the arena as they clinched their playoff spot.

Fuck. This was  _ still  _ the best feeling in the world.

—

The rest of the season went by in a flash, and before they knew it, the Ice Breakers were facing New York in round one. It felt so easy now as they swept the round, and had extra days for recovery. 

The Stallions lost against Boston. 

It had been a weird moment, celebrating someone else’s loss, but Anna had come home with two bottles of champagne and they popped bottles and got a little drunk and Anna had taken him to bed and  _ all right,  _ he might be okay with celebrating another’s loss if it meant he got  _ this _ . Plus, it was the team that almost took him out for the end of the season.

Yeah, he was okay with celebrating.

Philadelphia was a harder won match. They liked to play dirty. It went to game seven before they finally secured the win, and they all felt the tiring ache of it. Kristoff hated going to game seven - it meant they only had two days to recuperate before the next match started. 

But Anna had drawn him a hot bath, had snuck in to lay on his chest while he relaxed, and scratched her fingers against his chin as she waxed poetic about playoff beards and how maybe he should just  _ keep _ it and then her hands sunk a little lower, and he was suddenly feeling a lot more prepared for the Conference finals.

He genuinely thought they might lose to Toronto. They lost the first two. Won the third. Lost the fourth, and if they didn’t win all three of the remaining games, they were out.

It was close. God it was so fucking close. 

Game seven. They were 3-3. Sudden death overtime. It looked like it might head into double overtime, with only eighteen seconds on the clock, but  _ then _ \--

_ Pederson scores! Ice Breakers win!!!!  _

_ Thank fuck _ .

—

Anna was there for every game. Every win, every loss, she was  _ there _ . And he knew he wasn’t being a good boyfriend right now, he  _ knew _ that he was too focused on his career right now and this was what he had been  _ so fucking concerned about _ from the beginning.

But after game two against Nashville, which they lost  _ miserably _ , Kristoff was sulking on the couch watching tapes to figure out where they kept scoring on him, and Anna wrapped soft arms around his neck. 

“Hey,” she hummed, not even reacting to his short, irritated reply. “I just want you to know… How proud I am of you.”

That got his attention. 

“You had a really traumatic thing happen, and you bounced  _ right _ back from it, and you’ve been playing so hard, and so  _ well _ , and… There’s no fear, and that’s  _ amazing _ .” He let one hand raise to her arm, stroking his thumb across her skin.

“I love you so much,” he muttered, tilting his head back to look up at her. “I’m sorry if I’ve been a bad boyfriend.”

“I know,” she smiled, placing one quick kiss against his lips. “And you haven’t. I can deal with your job being most important for two months of the year.”

“You love me still?”

“More every day.”

He felt more confident in game three. And four. And then they were up three to one, and only needed  _ one more fucking win _ to win the whole damn thing. 

—

They were in Nashville and Anna was lamenting the fact that they didn’t have the time to actually see the city this week, and Kristoff pulled her close and told her if they won tonight they could stay here as long as she wanted and see everything she could possibly think of. She blushed and kissed him and told him that he better bring his A game, because she was holding him to it and would be horribly disappointed if they had to fly back home tonight.

That was an extra motivation.

They arrived at the arena early, amazed at the crowd already forming and the  _ insane _ energy just surrounding the building. Playoff hockey was a whole other world, and he was so ecstatic that Anna was getting to experience it by his side. He kissed her deeply before she had to head up to the box and him to the locker room, with a quick squeeze of her bottom and a laugh.

“Hey!”

“It’s for luck!!”

Anna swatted at him but grinned as she followed Jelissa up the stairs to the visiting team’s box, laughing with the blonde about their  _ stupid men  _ and  _ how on earth do we put up with them _ and Kristoff tuned out the rest before he heard something he didn’t want to. Then he turned his focus to the game.

“Men!” Sven hollered, his voice booming through the locker room. “This game is  _ do _ or  _ die _ . We’re ahead, but you better not let that cockiness mess with your game.”

Kristoff couldn’t help but smile. His best friend had perfectly honed his skill of making a speech lighthearted but also motivating. The team followed him into fire, and Kristoff had always admired him for it. When Sven wrapped it up and hopped down from his perch, Kristoff held out a hand, gripped his best friends’ and knocked their helmets together.

“Captain.”

“We win together or we die together, brother.”

Kristoff almost laughed at the drama of it all. “Calm down, Aragorn.”

Sven was silent for a moment. “When the fuck did you watch Lord of the Rings?”

“... Concussion recovery was rough.” He dropped Sven’s hand and smirked. “But it was actually pretty good.”

“Haven’t I been telling you for  _ years _ that you would like it?” He smacked Kristoff upside the head and grinned. “Never listen to  _ me _ , but the second you get a  _ girlfriend _ …”

They heard the announcements starting, and moved out towards the runway. As always, they were last onto the ice, and as always, they fist bumped before they stepped out. He was as ready as he’d ever be. The timer counted down, they got into position.

Three.

Two.

One.

The puck hit the ice.

Period one had a rough start. 2-0 Nashville. But he was recalibrating, remembering what it was he kept missing. They got him on his glove side. They knew he was a little weaker, a little more hesitant with it after the injury.

But he could fix it.

Period two, nothing got by him, and the guys scored three times. 2-3 Ice Breakers. Thank god.

Period three, and the pressure is on. Nashville doesn’t want to lose, and the Ice Breakers don’t want to drag it out. They’ve played three long matches already. 

Nashville scores.

Ice Breakers score.

3-4.

4-4.

5-4.

5-5.

And  _ then. _

Carruthers, the kid they just brought up from the minors to fill in a gap from another injury, fucking  _ scores  _ with three seconds on the clock. His third game. His first NHL goal.

The fucking Stanley Cup game winning goal.

The whole team runs to center ice. The whole team dog piles on top of the kid, still silent and slack-jawed with shock, still not believing what just happened. 

“Fuck yeah!” 

“God damn it Ruthy!”

“How the  _ fuck,  _ kid!”

The incoherent screaming from the team didn’t drown out the booing from the crowd, but nothing would bring them down right now. Nothing  _ could _ .

After their celebration, both teams basically let the three seconds run. Nashville knew nothing could be done, and the Ice Breakers weren’t about to let anything past them anyway. The buzzer rang and they all cheered again, whooping and hollering as they received the cup, went through the motions in the arena that wasn’t welcoming them. Then they ran down the runway, back to the locker room to find their family and friends waiting with enough champagne for every person in that room to have their own bottle.

Captain Sven Pederson had the pleasure of carrying the cup back with him. 

Music was blasting, everyone was screaming, champagne was already flying through the air and as the team started stripping some of their bulkier gear off, Mattias took to the stage. 

“I’ve never been more fucking proud of you boys. You rallied together and in just a few years, we’ve already risen so far beyond what people expected of this new little team in the middle of nowhere. I’m not going to make some big long speech,” Kristoff could see the tears in his eyes as he sniffled, and he let out a booming laugh as he looked around the room. “But you’ve all just… you’ve made me feel like a proud father.” He waved his hands in front of his face and shrugged. “But fuck my speech, let’s celebrate!”

And  _ celebrate they did _ .

Bottles popped, beers were distributed, everyone drank way more than they should as Sven emptied at least 8 bottles of champagne directly into the cup and lifted it to pour into every players’ mouth. The man of the hour, Scotty Carruthers, was herded to the middle of the pack and drenched in champagne and beer before he had even fully finished processing what was happening.

After  _ far _ too long, Kristoff found Anna, and she leapt immediately into his arms, placing sloppy peppered kisses all over his face. “I’m”  _ kiss _ “so”  _ kiss  _ “fucking”  _ kiss kiss  _ “proud of you.” And then a hearty one on the mouth, as her hands pressed firm to either side of his jaw. 

Kristoff smiled with his fingers spread wide over her back as she threw her arms in the air to add more beer to the rain in the room. She laughed brightly, lowered her hands back to his shoulders, and gave him the best smile he had ever seen. “I love you so much.”

And then he thought that somehow  _ that _ was worth more than the fucking Stanley Cup.


	34. epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M...... emotional. Thank you so much to everyone who has commented, liked, kudo'd, supported, and encouraged me along this ride!
> 
> If you've been around for a while, you know I'm Bad At Finishing Things. So the fact that I've finished this, at a full novel's length... is Shocking to me and I'm honestly having a fit about it. 
> 
> Thank u to everyone who let me bounce ideas off of them and for the friends who helped me come up with this whole thing in the first place. it's too many to name without possibly forgetting someone because I'm Garbage, so if u have helped me, u know it and i know it, and i love u dearly.
> 
> ANYWAY here's an epilogue, and I hope it's just satisfying enough for now :')

Anna fell backwards onto the couch, a thin coat of sweat covering her skin as she huffed out a heavy breath. “Kristoff,” she sighed, pushing her hair back off of her forehead. “I think I need a short break.” She waved her hands in front of her face in a futile attempt to cool down as he flopped down beside her, bouncing her just slightly off of the cushion. “We’ve got all day.”

He simply chuckled before laying an arm across her shoulders, his bare skin sticking to hers. She couldn’t help but immediately push him off. “Ugh, no, sorry honey.” Her voice was a groan as she tugged at the top of her shirt. “Too hot.”

Kristoff nodded before rolling his neck. “Well, we  _ did _ promise we’d have all of the furniture inside before one…” Anna rolled her eyes as he looked down at his watch. “And it’s about noon, and all that’s left is the bed.”

“Exactly!” Anna threw herself down to lay lengthwise on the couch, throwing her legs over his lap. “We can take a break!”

Patting a firm hand on her shin, Kristoff shrugged. “ _ Or _ we can just finish and then be done.” 

She scoffed and rolled onto her side as a pout tugged at her lips. “Why do you always have to be so  _ logical _ ?” But his fingers running up and down her skin quickly eased the annoyance. Peeking one eye up to look at him, Anna let out another groan as he gave her a crooked smile and a raised brow that just mockingly said  _ you know I’m right _ , and finished rolling the rest of the way off of the couch. “Fine, fine.”

Kristoff stood behind her as she climbed back to her feet and chuckled as she bounced on her toes to prepare herself for the final push. “I don’t know why you agreed to this,” he teased, snatching a bottle of water off of the table. “You complained enough when we moved your stuff.”

“Well, she’s my sister,” Anna started, winding her arm to stretch out her shoulder. “But also, I  _ definitely _ volunteered you and  _ Sven _ for it.”

“And then you told him to go with Elsa and Honey to get lunch.”

She scrunched up her nose. “Well I thought you’d want to take advantage of  _ alone time _ .” Crossing her arms over her chest, Anna sighed. “But  _ no _ . You’re a machine. Work work work.” She had barely begun her trek to the door before his strong arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her effortlessly off of the ground. 

“I can  _ play _ .”

It was definitely still too hot as the August humidity rolled through the open door, but suddenly it was less bothersome as Kristoff pinned her onto the couch beneath his body, his mouth running even hotter trails over her skin. They probably only had a few more minutes before the others’ would return, but Anna wasn’t about to protest as his hips came down to meet hers, her thighs spreading wider to accommodate all of his width. 

“Oh, Jesus Christ. We leave you alone for forty-five minutes…”

Anna’s hands shot to his chest, pushing Kristoff just far enough away so she could look up at her sisters’ eyes rolling as Honey and Sven continued about their day, clearly used to their shenanigans. All she could do was shrug and shoot Elsa an apologetic smile as Kristoff lifted himself fully off of her and grabbed some bags from Honeymaren. 

“They’re just  _ like that _ ,” Sven offered, dropping the bag of snacks onto the kitchen counter. “You’ll get used to it.”

“Also?” Anna laughed, sitting up and tugging her shirt back down to cover her exposed stomach. “You and Honey are just as bad.”

Elsa let out a dramatic scoff, rolling her eyes yet again. “We are  _ not _ -“

“God you  _ so _ are!”

A small sigh from Sven and a huffed “I miss my fiancée” wasn’t missed by Kristoff as he clapped a hand onto his best friends’ shoulder in understanding.

“I mean, she’s not wrong, El.”

Elsa’s arms were crossed tightly over her chest, a bright blush scorching her cheeks, and Anna couldn’t help but stand taller in confidence, a cocky grin pulling at her cheeks. “Thank you, Honey.” 

Kristoff came forward, sliding an arm around Anna’s waist before pulling her close to his side again. “So, how about we all grab a piece of the bed and bring it inside and then eat lunch?”

Anna couldn’t help but smile up at him, forever grateful that she gets to have him by her side in all things. 

—

“So…” Elsa hummed as she continued folding some of her clothing on the mattress on the floor, the five of them having been too lazy to put it together earlier. “I have an extra room, you know…”

Anna paused for a second, swallowing the tight lump in her throat as she looked up at her sister. “Oh?”

Shrugging, Elsa gave her a soft smile. “I know you’ve been living with Kristoff and that it’s going  _ well _ … but if you wanted something else - maybe less… risky?” She quickly raised her hands in front of her in defense as Anna huffed. “I don’t mean it like  _ that _ , Anna. You guys … have only been —  _ really _ together — for a few months, right? I just mean…” She put down her shirt and shrugged. “A lot of pressure on a new relationship, you know?”

“Actually,  _ no _ .” Anna let out a little laugh as she leaned back on her palms. “I thought it might have been, too… but we actually just… it really  _ works _ .” She bit her lip and sighed. “I know it’s crazy but… I just  _ know _ . And there’s no sense in moving out just to move back in in a year because that’s more,” she lifted her hands just enough to put little air quotes around her words, “socially acceptable.” 

Elsa gave her a smile before nodding. “Very fair. Well, it’s always there if you ever need it.”

“Thanks, sis.” Anna felt her cheeks heating as she turned her gaze to the carpet. She and Elsa had always been pretty close, but this last year had absolutely done more for their relationship than she ever thought imaginable. It was a blessing now to have her this close again, right down the road whenever she needed her. “I’m really happy you’re here.”

She may have been mistaken, but she was sure Elsa’s cheeks tinted just a light pink as well. “Me, too.”

A knock on the door startled them, and Kristoff leaned in just enough to make eye contact. “Hey baby… You almost ready to head out?”

Anna nodded and stood, knowing full well they’d be back tomorrow to help put together more furniture. She hugged her sister, said bye to Honey, and walked out the door with Kristoff’s fingers laced between hers.

“Hey,” she whispered as she bumped her hip against his. “I love you.”

Kristoff squeezed her hand tighter and looked up at the sky, his face and hair glowing in the golden sun as it started to settle lower on the horizon. “I love you, too,” he hummed, a smile pulling at his cheeks. 

—

Anna groaned and dropped her phone into her lap before dropping her head against the window with a soft thud.

“You all right?”

She shrugged and let out a soft breath of relief when Kristoff’s hand came across the cab to rest firmly on her thigh. “Ugh just… I guess my dad called Elsa  _ again _ to ask if I was ever going to answer him.” There was a crease between his brows that she desperately wanted to reach over and smooth down with her fingers, but she settled instead for scratching her nails up and down his forearm. “I’m not, by the way.”

There had been an outrage from the Ice Breakers once they found out what had happened, and plenty of fans had commented about how they missed her presence on the ice. It only got worse once _Hans_ _Westergaard_ spoke publicly about what Warren had allegedly done. How he had paid him off to injure Kristoff - which was of course a lie - and made up rumors about Anna that ended in her separation from the team.

The media and most hockey fans believed him, of course, but that was beyond her.

About a week after the finals, her father had called her and asked if she would come back, because, after all, it was a  _ family _ business. Anna said she would think about it, and has steadfastly ignored every call since. 

_ If it was a family business, _ she had said to Elsa,  _ he wouldn’t have pawned me off to the media team and then fired me without even hearing my side of things. _

Luckily her sister understood and never pressed the issue, only passed along the message. 

“We all miss you terribly,” Kristoff always supplied, never trying to push but always offering a small comfort.

“I miss you guys  _ too _ , but…” Anna hummed and drummed her fingers against his skin. “I’m honestly… I feel like  _ myself _ again, for the first time in a long time. I’m drawing all the time again and I just feel so much happier doing this, you know?” Kristoff’s grip tightened on her thigh as he nodded, and she leaned forward to press a kiss to his shoulder. “Thank you for supporting me.”

“Always, baby.” He slowed the truck and glanced down a side street before smiling over at her. “You okay if we make a quick pit stop before we go home?”

—

As they settled into the bed of the truck and watched the sun set over the river, Anna was thankful that she had managed to convince him once to keep a couple pillows and some blankets in his backseat. The quick stop wound up taking a bit longer than was expected, but as she pulled the blanket tighter to her shoulders and snuggled up into Kristoff’s embrace, she found she didn’t mind one bit. His thumb stroked a steady rhythm over her arm, hers on his thigh, as they listened to the soft sounds of the water.

“So,” he hummed, turning his head to press his lips against her hairline. “I heard you and Elsa talking. In her room.” 

Anna pulled back just enough to make him look her in the eyes. “That so?” She desperately hoped he wouldn’t recommend the same thing. 

“I…” His cheeks darkened and he reached forward to grab her free hand. “You know how you… you said you  _ know _ ?” 

She nodded, biting at her lower lip.

“I know, too.” He laughed and shrugged, scrunching his nose up. “But if you  _ wanted  _ to move in with your sister - I know we said  _ temporary _ …” He turned his head back to the horizon, and Anna pressed her ear against his chest to listen to the rapid thumping of his heart. “I wouldn’t be upset, or anything. But I also want you to know that I,” he paused, his fingers tightening on her arm. “I really like living with you.”

Anna twisted her lips to the side in a failed attempt to hold back her smile. “I really like living with you, too.”

“Okay.” He let out a sigh that sounded relieved before he twisted just a little to dig something out of his pocket. It was a small box, velvety and dark, and Anna felt her own heart quicken beneath her ribs as she sat up straight.

“Kristoff, wait, that’s… I love you and I mean,  _ yeah, _ but, oh, no, it’s so  _ soon— _ ” 

She watched in horror as his face dropped and his eyes darted between her and the small box in his fingers before he threw his hands up in surrender. “No! Oh, oh god no,” he opened it quickly to reveal  _ a _ ring, but not  _ that _ kind of ring. “Fuck, no, I mean, like…  _ eventually _ , right, but… no, oh god.” 

Anna’s hand rose to her chest as she let out a heavy breath, her heart already slowing back to a normal pace. She wanted that  _ someday _ … but not after just a few months. No matter how sure she was. 

“It’s…” Kristoff’s entire face was red as he held it out sheepishly in front of him. “It’s just something I thought you might like. And… I don’t know, to say thank you for everything?”

She gently took the box from him, lifting the small, simple ring from it’s padding, and she couldn’t help but smile. It was a wrap ring shaped like a hockey stick, with his number etched into the toe and a heart engraved on the inside. It was so dorky, and endearing, and  _ so very Kristoff _ . 

“It’s  _ perfect _ ,” Anna smiled, sliding it over her middle finger before setting the box down beside them. “I love it.” She could feel him relax beneath her as she laid her hand across his chest and cuddled back into his side. “I love  _ you _ .”

His arm wrapped around her, pulling her impossibly closer. “I love you, too.” One soft kiss against her hairline. “More than I ever thought possible.”

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while longer, until the sky grew dark overhead and the moon was the only thing illuminating them, stars crystal clear and reflecting in the river. Anna still wasn’t sure just how they got here, but she wouldn’t trade this for anything.

_ But _ …

“Your actual proposal better be this cute.”

Kristoff stiffened for just a second before letting out a heavy breath of laughter. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m already working on it.”


End file.
